Out Pacing Death
by The laughing Mann
Summary: Iruka suddenly gets a bad feeling about remaining in Konoha and hits the road.  However he can't seem to catch a break as more and more bad omens latch onto him, leading him into quite the adventure. Pics on website 'The Making' page bottom 75% view  .
1. 4 Days Until Now

Well... This time I have not been away from fanfiction quite so long... However this is my first time writting a Naruto fiction, so please don't judge too harshly if I'm awkward with the Naruto Universe. Also, don't mind the OCs, they're just here for a good laugh or two. Well, then L-E-T-S-G-O, Let's go let's go! Please note also, that while I support KakaIru, this one isn't cuz I don't praticularly like to write romance. And my voice is undoubtably a bit different from Iruka's so pardon the overtly gay seeming descriptions (you'll recognize them when you read 'em.).

Disclaimer: All I own are the omens, Anako and Rhyns. The rest I am borrowing.

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Chapter One: Four Days Until Now

Most people might laugh, hells I'm laughing, but about a week ago I saw this coming. This rather foul air was lingering about me, making me jump at loud noises and be wary of shadows. I knew that something was going to happen and I was going to be at the focal point.

It started with a strange almost tingling sensation on my arm. I instinctively swatted at my arm and was rudely awakened by the soft 'splt' of an exoskeleton being crushed. I wasn't very good with spider breeds but either way, that started my morning.

After showering and dressing I was lingering in the bathroom when the mirror started to crack. A thin spidery line started in the bottom right of the mirror, issuing a small groan as the line became four than six then twelve. I sprang back, looking to see if anything else was suddenly breaking around me.

The feeling of bad omens had already settled in, the breaking of my tea glass and the broken strap of my tabi didn't help at all.

I've always been good at telling how a day will be and can spot a bad day a kilometer away. However this omen bespoke something much more sinister than merely taking a tumble down a flight of stairs or forgetting an important meeting or accidently setting ones' own hair on fire.

Something dark was closing in, which meant that something dark was closing on Konohagakure.

So I did the only logical thing I could. I went on a sabbatical.

I got a replacement for myself at the academy, leaving my lesson plans for whom ever filled in for me. I always was quite prepared and had left them with enough lesson plans, guides, quizzes, tests, and project guides to finish out the year.

Getting time off the missions room was also easy, it was convincing Sarutobi Sensei that it was necessary for me to leave that was the hardest.

_"What do you mean you're going on a sabbatical?" His old voice rang of confusion laced with mild humour._

_"Yes, I suddenly can no longer deny my heritage. I was walking through the market and I spotted some people playing Go... The two men playing were father and son, with the grandson seated on the grandfathers' lap, being taught the game. Off to the side a couple of older men were watching the game being passed to another generation." I was lying about them inspiring me, but the Go players really do have four generations alive. Truly amazing._

_Lord Hokage laughed, his typical wheezing laughter that made me grin somewhat. I tried to look serious and confident... Well I was confident on my need to distance myself from Konoha, but mastering my sense of dread and the tumultuous feelings running rampant inside me, had me feeling almost nauseous._

_"Lord Hokage?"_

_"... I think you've been spending too much time around Kakashi." He gave me an evaluating look, one that just about peels off skin._

_"...K-Kakashi san?" I barely know the man. All I know about him is what I hear from Naruto, but he's known for his rather inaccurate judgment. So I'd been holding off on what I truly think of him until I actually met with him. "I don't know what you mean?"_

_"Of course not." He laughed a little anyways, probably imagining something rather humourous and trying to shake it off before continuing. "Well whatever it is you're not telling me, I hope that two weeks of leave I'm giving you is enough for you to come around and tell me what's actually going on." He leveled his disappointed, grandfatherly stare at me and I had to avert my eyes._

_"This is much appreciated, Hokage-sama."_

Thus I grabbed everything I could think of and dashed out of Konoha without some much as a wave backwards.

I had decided that being even remotely identifiable as a Leaf Shinobi might come back to Konoha, so I left my uniform behind and kept my hitai-ate inside my satchel.

I had decided to wear tight black pants that I wrapped and secured along with a new pair of black tabi I had gotten out that morning. I pulled out an old net shirt and a black zip up sweater. I also dug out an old, multi-pocketed hip pouch, one that I had altered to go with the satchel I wore.

The hip pouch had five pockets and sat on my right hip. One pocket held kunai and throwing stars, another chakra wires, sealing tags, and paper bombs. The satchel I wore over my shoulder so it rested on my left hip/back. I had customized the bag so that it could be attached to the belt of the pouch, preventing it from bouncing around or flying out as I ran and dodged. The whole contraption had one flaw, I suppose one could say, and that was the central joint. All the straps and belts were connected there so if need be, I could break that joint and ditch the bags.

However it also meant that somebody else could break it for me too.

But I wasn't going to let that happen. So I set off with all the necessities I could remember and headed towards the mountains. They're rather empty and void of any sort of life so I liked them the best for awaiting the omens to come for me.

My first stop that day, however was to see the little pond sized lake just at the edge of the village. Far enough away that not too many people went there but close enough for the patrols to glimpse upon.

Now even though Konohagakure is located in the Land of Fire, doesn't mean it's always hot or at the very least mild, but there is one thing I know with a certainty: ice doesn't occur on a pond when it's 32Cᵒ.

But there, impossibly, was the ice. Not a single blade of grass surrounding the pond-lake was touched with frost, just the water.

And gliding oh-so care freely across that ice was a yuki-onna... well... The figure was a little ambiguous in the gender department but there was no doubt about the snow department.

Their skin and hair were composed entirely of ice, a lovely almost silvery blue that glinted as they spun and whirled across the smooth surface. Their face was stony and it was impossible to tell if their eyes were open or closed. They wore a pure white garb that could be considered a cheongsam dress; it had a tall mandarin collar and the dress was pulled together with ties dotting it, the seam trailing down the center before coming across the rib cage. The sleeves of the dress where furisode like; they were tight at the upper arms and abruptly flared into furisode that nearly touched the ground when their arms were down. The cheongsam went to mid-shin of the person and had two slits up the legs that went to the top of their hip bone. A small flash of icy skin could be seen between the thick stocking that held up by light blue garters. Their delicate feet seemed to by naked, aside from the stockings.

As they danced across the ice it gave me a chance to study the figure, which I would come to realize was indeed a man. They were flat chest, which typically lead as they bent gracefully into jump after jump. The occasional pause of leaps and glides allowed me to see that their hips were rather boney and straight but they had a very shapely ass, one that looked like it may have been suffering a wedgie.

The snow apparition suddenly leapt high into the air, his wrists crossed so the backs of his hands touched. Large fluffy snowflakes flew away from him, trailing behind the furisode as he spun. He landed on his feet, sliding to the right to rid himself of momentum. His right leg suddenly spun back, stretching his shapely leg out and bringing him to a stop. The furisode gently landed on the frozen surface, one wrapping neatly behind him the other in front of him.

He gave a whispery sigh as he stood, his almost emaciated form standing forlornly at the center of the pond-lake.

A burst of applause from somewhere behind me had me jump. I didn't know whether to feel relieved or scared when it also startled the snow apparition. But I wasted no time in diving into a bush, scanning out with all my senses for the other person.

The snow apparition also looked around and called out in some strange, almost hissing language. They glided my way, their feet seeming to be lifted in the air with only his toes brushing across the ice as he moved.

That was when I noticed that the man was wearing shoes. Almost glass like shoes whose only telling sign of existence was the deep cerulean stiletto heel and soles. He stopped at the edge of the pond-lake, his empty eyes surveying the forest.

I jumped out, kunai in hand, staying a safe couple meters back.

"Who are you?" The apparition looked momentarily confused by my question, well their body language said they were. The icy face masked any expressions they may be making.

"I am Rhyns." They had a whispery voice that hissed lightly, dragging on the s. But I could just tell that I'd have a hard time with his name.

"Where are you from!" Because now it was starting to seem even less possible that he was an apparition. Apparitions don't talk, they just kill people. "What village are you from?"

"Village...?" He repeated the word like it held no meaning to him.

Another voice called out, startling the man. Suddenly they tilted their head, the icy lips creaking as the edges pulled into a serene smile.

"I do not come village. I come Rivina." He spoke brokenly but with confidence, as he thought he was speaking Japanese correctly.

"What?" It was really hard trying to piece together his speech and futility try to find the source of the voice. The man before me I was using as a template for my search. However, while he had an energy about him that felt similar to chakra, it was blatantly obvious he and this voice didn't have any known type of chakra.

"Rivina. Home." He spoke softly, then shifted his look to something behind me.

Shifting some so that my back was neither to him or whatever he was looking at I was able to spot a tall, dark clothed man pull away from the shadows, seeming to peel them off as he walked into the sunlight.

"We come from Rivina. It is very far from here." He seemed to speak Japanese much more fluently but his voice was ominous and made my spine tingle.

His face was striking, heavily angled and pointed but not without a elegance. The face would lovely if the cold, dark blue eyes were friendlier or if it wasn't so veiled by a foreboding sensation. His glossy black hair went to his thighs and flowed unrestrained about him. He wore an extremely fitted trench coat like jacket with a tall collar that went right to his chin, it somehow made his neck look long and willowy. The jacket's sleeved seem to barely be hanging on, showing more liquid-paper-white skin of his shoulders and upper arms. The black jacket sleeves stopped just a centimeter below the wrist, giving way to the tight shirt beneath that became sharp points on the back and palm of his hands. The jacket was held together at his impossibly narrow waist by a crimson sash. The jacket split open after the sash, the pointed tips of it brushing against the grass as it moved. The split revealed his thin, shapely legs that were tightly wrapped in black pants that disappeared into three tiered black boots, the first and third tier sported small crimson dot each.

"My name is Anako." He spoke crisply, his freezing eyes colder than the snow apparition... ninja... person... Rhyns.

"What... are you doing... here?" I managed not to stutter but the pausing was inevitable for the new comer had yet to stop walking towards me.

I jumped back, keeping the duo in my sights as I tried to give myself space to defend and attack. I held a second kunai and was desperately wishing I hadn't decided against bringing my katana.

"If I wanted you dead..." the terrible gaze flashed a whole new kind of malevolence at me, "then we would not be conversing now."

I shuddered and could feel the sweat dripping from my face. His dangerous eyes had connected with mine and he silenced my breath. I felt a small fire build in my chest as my lungs refused to even try to take in air. My heart even seemed to tremble off beat. I felt my core start to freeze and the edges of the world were starting to become fuzzy black smudges.

I felt my knees hit the ground and my lungs heave as air suddenly poured into them. My heart raced frantically and I surely would have tried to flee if I were able. I felt my whole body jolt as I finally registered somebody yelling.

My vision was clearing but I could tell that the ice apparition had suddenly come to my aid. Ice daggers littered the ground beside the dark man, most of which were rapidly melting.

The man was yelling in his strange language again and looked rather distraught. The dark man was doing his best to look apologetic but the glace he spared me was rather apathetic and uninterested.

I felt myself choke at the gaze, feeling rather foolish though. His gaze didn't hold the intensity he had last time, but my body was harshly reacting anyways. I felt a fresh wave of tremors and worked desperately to disperse them so I could confidently hold my weapons.

At the time, I thought this may have been the disaster that the omens were foretelling but little did I know that they were just omens themselves.

The ice man had finally quit yelling and was demanding something of the other. His hand held out for something. He growled again and the sable haired man tossed a glass jar to the other.

The apparition quickly opened the jar, knocking back some blue pills before tossing it back to the creeper. The icy skin suddenly melted into his skin, revealing perfectly tanned skin, a touch bit lighter and yellower than my own tanned skin. His hair was a lovely shade of lavender and his eyes were an expressive mauve that glared at Anako before he rushed to my side.

"I am deeply sorry, body guard san not nice." He smiled reassuringly, his delicate hand coming to stroke my neck and shoulder. "You kill me... He thinks." The last added almost as an afterthought.

"Wha-" I choked again, feeling Anako's deadly eyes on me. I suppressed the feeling and stared into Rhyns' compassionate eyes. "What sort of ninja are you?"

"Ninja?" Rhyns laughed softly in confusion. "I am not a ninja. Assassin."

"Apprentice." Anako quickly corrected. "You're not an assassin." He and Rhyns shared an icy stare and the deadlier of the two spoke curtly and Rhyns gave a small noise of understanding.

"I apologize, Japanese is not good." He laughed sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head.

"What about that ice? If you're not a ninja how did you become covered in ice?" I pointed with my chin to the pond-lake, "how did you turn the pond to ice?" With Aanko's gaze? I supplied sarcastically but held it in, listening intently for his reasoning.

His, as he says, bodyguard san softly translated my questions. Rhyns looked at him then looked away, his eyebrows pulling together in frustration.

"I do not know how speak." He growled at himself, looking almost ready to cry. He made suddenly want to comfort him and I dropped my hand onto his.

"I'm a teacher, I can help you learn Japanese." I gave him a warm smile, trying to pull myself together. "You've already got quite a grasp on it, so I think you'll pick it up quickly. Don't give up."

It took him a few seconds to process what I said but he took my hand in both of his, an excited gleam in his eyes. "You really mean it?"

"Of course." I felt a lot warmer with the ice apparition than with the shadowy man towering over us. He had stepped closer when I touched Rhyns. I tried to keep my eyes from his, and stared at his sharp, hawkish nose. "I am going to those mountains, if you are going my way I will gladly help."

He nodded and I watched his black taloned hand come to Rhyns' shoulder. He gave him a brief squeeze and I felt his eyes suddenly leave me. That's when I felt it too.

A shinobi was nearing us, one with murderous intent. I leapt to my feet, holding my kunai out before me. "Stay back, Rhyns." Anako and I ordered simultaneously.

I would have spared Anako a bemused glance at our congruency but the shinobi was so close, his chakra was already trying to smother me. I flung out a kunai, quickly replacing the one for two shuriken. Beside me Anako pulled a daitou from seemingly nowhere. The blade gleamed in the filtered sunlight and his other hand held the black scabbard, looking faintly like he was wielding one sword normally and one in reverse.

The attacker deflected my kunai and Anako rushed forward, his steps so quick he would vanish from the second his foot touched off and reappear in the next step when his foot reconnected with the ground. He gave a powerful kick and vanished into the forest.

Rhyns drew up on his feet beside me, senbon falling gracefully into his hands as he leaned back easily. His body language said he was quite relaxed but his eyes were hard and probed the forest.

A harsh clang of metal on metal rang out, the keening wail of the blades drawing closer. It didn't take long for Anako to lead the shinobi into the open. They stood a measured distance apart, Anako with his and sheath held identically now, with his arms down, palms up, looking altogether too relaxed as I recognized his opponent.

Hatake Kakashi. Kakashi had his hitai-ate pushed up, revealing his scarred sharingan eye. The mismatched eyes wandered over to us and he nearly dropped his weapons when our eyes connected.

"Kakashi san." I murmured, more than a little surprised to see him. He must have been on patrol or something when he noticed the two strangers. Assuming they were enemy shinobi he attacked, and I looked about, scanning with my chakra to see if any other guards were called.

"Iruka sensei, what's going on here?" Kakashi shouted at me, his voice even but I could hear the stress in it. Anako must be adept with his blade if it scares Kakashi san.

"They're travelers, I spotted them a few minutes ago. They're leaving the area though."

"What?" He looked as confused as I was when I had first started talking with these people.

"Rivinians." Rhyns spoke softly, his senbon abruptly disappearing as he smiled and twisted his arms behind his back.

I took his arm, pulling it from behind back. "Don't put your arms were they can't be seen. It will only antagonize Kakashi san further." I spoke slowly, trying to annunciate perfectly.

"Antagonize?"

"Provoke, disturb, hassle." I threw out casually, shrugging slightly.

"Ah!" Rhyns slapped his fist into his open left hand as he smiled brightly. "I got it." He slowly repeated the word to himself over and over again.

"Kakashi san, they're just travelers, they'll be traveling with me."

"You're on a mission... by yourself." Kakashi still hadn't sheathed his kunai but Anako had already put his long sword back to where ever he initially pulled it from and was standing back, studying the two of us.

"No," I shook my head, trying to pull off a confident smile. "I'm on a sabbatical."

"A... Sabbatical...?" Both he and Rhyns asked, Kakashi being the more disbelieving of the two and Rhyns clearly not understanding the word.

Anako answered him for me so I could answer Kakashi. I stepped towards him, putting myself between him and the two foreigners I had picked up. I held my unarmed hands out to him, palms up as I spoke, trying to give a reassuring smile.

"Yes, you see I got this sudden and undeniable urge to study geology." I smiled widely, trying to use the preconceived notion of my unwillingness to lie against him. "And I'm taking these two with me." I motioned towards Anako and Rhyns, who had stepped together right behind me.

"Geology? I thought you told the Hokage you were studying your heritage."

"...Which is written in stone..." I felt my lips contort into a strange pulling twist that was torn between a weak smile, a grimace, and the frozen shock of being caught in a lie and not having a back up.

Damn him.

I was about to answer the coming question when the trees filled with ANBU and Jounin. Asuma and Kurenai were on opposite sides of the tree Kakashi was in front of and the ANBU team had formed a semi-circle around the pond-lake, which was starting thaw judging by the mild slush ringing the circumference of the pond-lake.

"I called for backup." Kakashi stated pleasantly, his eyes becoming little curves before sliding the hitai-ate in place.

Rhyns, Anako, and I put our backs together, waiting for them strike. I glared solely at Kakashi, only raising my fists defensively. "Keep your weapons down." I growled at them, which Anako was translating automatically. "We don't mean any trouble." I spoke plainly to Kakashi, trying to convey my peaceful intentions. "We'll be on our way if you'll allow."

I felt Anako shift uncomfortably and slide more in front of Rhyns.

"The Hokage wishes to meet these two." Ibiki spoke, materializing out of the shadows just over my right shoulder, his gaze locked intensely with Anako, who was apathetically staring back.

Rhyns carefully nudged his elbow into mine, getting me to look into his confused eyes. I smiled warmly at him, leaning comfortingly into him. "It's okay. We're just going to be delayed for a little bit."

He smiled after he translated the words and turned away, his arm jabbing me as he grabbed Anako. Anako stepped aside and turned with Rhyns stepping up between us.

I was minimally surprised, Rhyns stood slightly taller than me, but mostly due to the high heels he wore and Anako stood taller than him, with significantly shorter and stouter heels.

"We will talk with him, but only if Iruka san acts as our translator. We are not from here and do not speak the language well." Which was ironic because Anako was speaking perfectly and even using the proper conjugation for addressing someone like Ibiki.

Ibiki seemed to consider this for a second but when Rhyns spoke, he was rapidly agreeing upon a translator. "Rivina home. It's delicious." Rhyns smiled brightly and Anako's head dropped his head into his open palm.

"What did he mean?" I whispered to him, and he shook his head, shrugging.

Rhyns spoke quietly in their language, looking rather lost as we followed behind Ibiki and the other Jounin with the ANBU escorts flanking up, Kakashi and another team of ANBU behind us. I was a little surprised when Kakashi, tugged on my shirt sleeve, pulling me out of step with Anako and Rhyns and into step with him.

"Who are they?" He spoke so softly I was straining to hear him.

"Anako and Rhyns, they come from a far away country called Rivina." I replicated the decibel level, although it kind of hurt.

"And what do they do?" He pulled his hitai-ate back up, and Anako turned to scowl at him but looked away with a huff and a shrug.

He was probably studying the same phenomena I had witnessed earlier. They had a substance like chakra but felt completely wrong. It also didn't act like normal chakra, more like a kekkei genkai. The energy could only be described as something like Mokuton used by the First Hokage. Some entirely new chakra that I hadn't seen before, and apparently neither had Kakashi.

"Rhyns is a Yuki-onna... Well Yuki-jin..." I shrugged trying to find a way to better describe him but ultimately failed so I skipped on to my favourite creeper, Anako. "Anako is Rhyns bodyguard, or so he says..."

"And they claim to be from another country?"

"They just claim to be from Rivina. Rhyns laughed when I called him a ninja, claiming he was..." I hesitated because he truly seemed to mean assassin. Assassin and apprentice aren't similar at all.

Kakashi's sharingan stared critically at me, watching me try to think through the oddity that is this duo. I caught myself and turned an apologetic smile on Kakashi. "Sorry got lost in my thoughts... What was I saying?"

"What Rhyns' occupation is." Recalling the senbon he used earlier, I smiled and nodded my thanks before answering.

"He's a doctor in training." Kakashi gave me an incredulous glare, apparently he had also noted Rhyns' clothing. About the only saving grace of them were that they were white.

I smiled on, completely ignoring the look. Kakashi gave a resigned sigh and went on.

"And Anako?"

"He's a bodyguard." I returned the incredulous look, trying make it look like I was wondering if he were really paying attention. I knew he knew was I just trying to bluff away his accusing eyes.

He fell back a step and stepped back up to Anako and Rhyns as we came to the top of the Hokage monument. The meeting was probably held there because it was easier to get more ANBU there and easier to get the Hokage out if the strange duo decide to attack.

If they did attack I was try to stop them too.

The Hokage stood with seven ANBU ringed in a semi-circle behind him. More ANBU were dotted across the monument and those guiding us here fanned out behind us. The Jounin came to stand in two neat lines on opposite sides of the Hokage.

Sarutobi sama coughed softly as he analyzed the duo then his gaze turned to me. I bowed politely and the other two mirrored me.

"Good morning Hokage sama." Rhyns greeted formally, his face taking on a serene indifference. "I am Rhyns Minamo and Anako Miso." He waved first to himself then Anako.

The Hokage looked on in minor amusement at him. I was resisting the urge to correct him but Anako waved me off.

"Rivina home." He smiled and I couldn't keep my mouth shut.

"Rivina is our home." I added the missing parts. Rhyns blinked incomprehensibly then repeated after me. "You keep forgetting the particles Rhyns." I sighed shaking my head.

"Thank you Iruka _sensei_." The way he said sensei was lewd and made me eye him critically. The smirk on his lips and the odd look in his eyes made realize he was doing it on purpose.

"Sensei? You're teaching them, Iruka?" Sarutobi sama asked, suddenly eyeing me like he did earlier when I tried to lie my way out of town.

"Sort of. I'm just teaching them Japanese. Rhyns san here has a good vocabulary but as you've heard, a little trouble with particles and conjugation. And the occasional sound alike..." I knew both Anako and I were recalling the 'Oishii desuyo' Rhyns stated, blissfully unaware of his mistake.

"Are you shinobi?" Anako bowed slightly, his gaze carefully nuetral.

"I am. However my duty is to protect Rhyns." He stated simply, his eyes glaring at the ANBU encircling us.

The Hokage's eyes fell on me and I gave a shy grin and bowed.

"I am too." Sarutobi rolled his eyes and I got the distinct feeling that while the Jounin thought I was quite witty the ANBU didn't appreciate the remark.

Rhyns gave a satisfyingly shocked expression. Clutching my shoulder as he swung around to look me in the eyes. "You are a ninja!"

I smiled at him, trying to get Anako's attention, but he and Ibiki were locked in death stare battle. "Well... Yeah."

He stared with open awe, then looked around. "Are all these people ninjas?" He gasped, looking ready faint.

"...Yeah... This is a ninja village..."

"Village?" He started but quickly shook his hand at me, stopping me from explaining. "Then why so many brightly colours?" He asked sounding rather dubious.

"..." Good Question. "We live in a forest." I was trying to think on my feet but the ground seemed to be moving 150 KPH. Rhyns leveled an incredulous stare my way before shrugging and turning back to the Hokage.

"Hello ninja sama." Rhyns spoke to the Hokage, looking much happier to meet him. "It's Delicious!"

I could feel the surge of disbelieving awe that went through the crowd. If we could, we all probably would've ended up on the ground, our feet in the air.

"No." Rhyns looked back at me confused and oblivious to the horrified awe of the ANBU.

"No what?"

"It's delicious is not what you meant to say..." Anako finally stepped back into help, explaining to Rhyns what he just said. Rhyns' face became beet red and he laughed embarrassedly.

"Nice to meet you." Rhyns tried again and bowed deeply. "I am very sorry."

"It's fine, Rhyns san." The Hokage spoke sternly as scanned the crowd. "Please come with me to my office." He dismissed the ANBU and the other Jounin except Kakashi.

Sarutobi sama was seated in his chair with the four of standing before him. He was smoking on his pipe, his eyes trying to discern the truth.

"Iruka." He grumbled out, his gravelly voice making me inhale sharply. "Kakashi has told me that you are taking your sabbatical to study geology."

"There's rocks all over the world. I'm trying to find a stone native to-" Sarutobi sama's bark like cough cut me off, making Rhyns and I flinch. I sighed and ducked my head. "My friends are here and being that they're foreigners I wanted to take time off and show them the Land of Fire." I tried to sound as defeated and dejected as possible.

Rhyns loosely held my wrist, smiling gently at me. "Iruka chan." He breathed softly, trying to enable my lie as much as possible.

Even Anako had turned his gaze to me, his emotionless facade temporally made into a friendly facade.

Our combined acting was enough to fool the Hokage and he gave a dip of his head.

"Iruka." He sounded slightly admonishing but the fatherly smile on his face made it impossible not to smile back.

"Does this mean I don't have to use up my sabbatical leave?"

"You get sabbatical leave?" Kakashi asked suddenly, wearing his own mask of astonishment.

"You don't?" I could tell he got the joke and was rather relieved I didn't have to explain it. Even Rhyns got that one and was laughing with us.

The Hokage however became rather serious and I gulped, suddenly worried that I'd end up cursing Konohagakure and end up getting these two enigmas thrown in jail. He sighed and made a motion towards the door, and two ANBU came in.

"Please wait outside with them, Rhyns san, Anako san." Rhyns and Anako bowed deeply and Anako gave me a curt nod. Rhyns waved as he skipped out after the trio and slid the door shut.

"Iruka... I cannot allow you to go..."

"But... Hokage sama! I really do need to!" I waved my arm, slashing it across my body. My abrupt movement startled Kakashi and he stepped away from me.

"We have gotten some strange reports, all of which have been following those two."

"They're my friends! I know Rhyns wouldn't do anything evil." I clenched my fists by my sides, trying to rein in my emotions. "I want to show them my country." I stated dejectedly.

"...Let me go with them Lord Hokage." Kakashi suddenly volunteered.

"W-what?" I was rather stunned, and trying to get to the bottom of his sudden niceness. "What about Naruto and Sasuke and Sakura? Your team needs you..."

"I can give them some training regiments to follow in my absence." His visible eye closed into his infamous 'He' character. "This way I'll get information on these strangers you call friends and you get to have that trip you wanted."

I blinked rapidly then turned to the Hokage. He seemed to be pondering that when he nodded. "You have two weeks Kakashi. Find out all you can and report back. Should something jeopardize this you are to both report back immediately."

"Yes sir!" We both stated and saluted.

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Pah! Chapter one done! Tune in next Thursday for chapter Two! It promises more adventuring and more laughs!


	2. 3 Days Until Now

Chapter Two: Three Days Until Now

I set a quick pace for the mountains as Rhyns and I carried the conversation. Despite his terrible grammar and errors he comes off as very intelligent and well traveled. Anako came off no less intelligent but he seemed a bit more than a hired hand. He could often fill in gaps and was constantly correcting Rhyns.

When we made camp Anako surprised me with several varieties of edible plants he had collected on the brisk walk. He also built the fire, literally snapping his fingers and the collected timber ignited. He looked even more eerie when his glossy hair reflects the conflagration and the flickering light cast ominous shadows across him.

To further my belief in him being an ice apparition, Rhyns produced a kettle and promptly filled it with snow. He started whistling, which sounded almost bird like and clamped my hand around his thin upper arm.

"Do not whistle. The day has been filled with enough bad omens." I whispered and he seemed to be pondering what I said even as he nodded his understanding.

"Is something the matter Iruka chan?"

"Don't call me Iruka chan..."

"Iruka pon?" He tried a rather girly nickname that no one but a foreigner would add to my name.

"No."

"Iruka rinta?"Now he was starting to piss me off.

Anako interrupted my eruption by calling out to Rhyns, scolding him for me. I fumed silently, trying to push away anger. While Rhyns was by no means short, yet he looked and acted like someone much younger. He had a simple minded nature to him that seemed incapable of deception, but the intelligent glint in his eyes made that assumption evaporate quicker than a puddle in summer.

We played Janken-po to decide who would take first watch. The first hour wast o have two people on and the loser of those two would stay up for an hour alone and then wake the next person for their two hour shift. The last person would have to start breaking the camp before waking us.

I got the third shift and had to stay up for an hour with Kakashi. Rhyns got the last shift and I made sure he knew how to break camp. He did, so I brought a mostly blank scroll I had been penning a few silly ideas on so we could practice his Japanese.

Rhyns glanced at my scroll as I started unfurling it, moving in to wedging himself tightly to me so he could rest his chin on my shoulder. His dainty yet strong hand came to rest on mine, holding the scroll steady as he stared at it.

After a couple seconds he frowned and nudged his nose against my jaw.

"Iruka chan!" He whined, poking at the scroll. "I need furigana!"

I laughed and he was quick to join in, but I could tell he was being serious so I started writing furigana in, explaining the kanji he didn't understand. For almost an hour he stayed leant against me, his hand going back and forth between trailing down the kanji and holding onto my hand.

Anako came and pulled him off, telling him it was time to go to bed. He smiled at him and brushed a stray stand of black hair over his shoulder, he dismissed Anako and leant down to my height.

"Thank you Iruka chan." He whispered, his hand squeezing my shoulder and letting it trail down my arm as he followed after Anako.

Kakashi and Anako had tended the fire, letting it burn low so it would be harder for enemies to spot. I was impressed that it was still hot enough to heat the small camp though.

Kakashi had moved to the log across the pit from me and was staring unabashed at me. It was almost unnerving to be scrutinized by that stoic man.

"How close a friend are you to these people?"

"I like them, they're very interesting." I shrugged, rolling my shoulders. I had gotten a bit cramped up with Rhyns leaning against me. He was extremely light but the position was still uncomfortable for long durations.

"When did you meet them?" I thought he already knew I didn't know them well.

"I thought you knew..." I admitted out loud.

"You're too trusting of that waif." He stated, glaring across the fire. "You need to be more careful of him, he's got some sort of ulterior motive here."

"Who here doesn't?" I was running to save Konoha from whatever these omens were preceding, Kakashi was here to spy on them. We weren't all that different.

Kakashi narrowed his eye at me, and could have swore he growled. But that was lost when both snapped our heads up in alarm.

Some one was out there. Stalking the woods, waiting for a momentary weakness. I looked to Kakashi and he gave an almost imperceptible nod. He heard it too, and his eyes were probing the darkness, his knuckles white as he clenched the log tightly.

I turned my head back to the fire, folding my hands together.

"What should we do?" I mumbled, wedging my elbows into my hips to stay any unwanted shaking. I wish Rhyns hadn't started whistling, now robbers are hunting us.

"We wait. I'll take Rhyns san's guard duty. I'll alert Anako san to this when I wake him up." I nodded and drew over to my satchel, digging around for my tea.

If I am to sleep tonight, I'm going to need something to help. I might just stay up with Kakashi when it's my turn to go back to sleep. I could feel two sets of eyes following my movements, one the familiar if caustic gaze of Kakashi and the other rather feral and mean spirited.

I poured water in to the ceramic cup I procured and waited for my tea to steep, gazing sightlessly into the low blaze, my minds' eye following the direction of the strange gaze.

"Iruka sensei." Kakashi's voice startled me out of my concentration and I looked up at him. "Be more careful, you broke your glass."

Sure enough nearly scalding water had drenched my hand, leaving my skin an angry pink and a light stinging sensation. Shards of my cup was scattered about the ground, glistening in the crackling firelight.

I was careful about cleaning up the shards, tossing them into the forest, nowhere near to where the skulker was hanging out.

"Bad omens." I sighed and palmed a sort term sleeping pill. "I'm going to bed, Kakashi san, be careful." I stood and fell onto my bed roll, checking my kunai and shuriken before taking the pill.

"Sleep softly Iruka san." Anako whispered as the world dropped away leaving only my instincts on as I shut down for the four hours of sleep I'd get tonight.

When I woke up and was accosted by the sun's first light and I knew those bastards had conspired against me. They had left me sleeping, somebody else taking my shift.

I hopped to my feet, glaring about the camp. Rhyns was still sleeping too, his petite form curled, cutely cat like. His hair was fanned about his head, glinting in the faint light filtering through the leaves. The rest of the camp was filled with Kakashi, still on the log he was last night, albeit now he was laying on reading his infamous orange IchIcha Paradise.

Anako was perched in a tree, one leg hanging limply off one side and his body looking a little too relaxed to be awake.

I scowled at Kakashi since he was the only one awake and at whom I could inflict my rage upon.

"Yo, Iruka sensei." He gave a slight wave, trying to seem innocent in all this. I marched over, standing at his feet as I glared down at him.

"Why didn't you wake me?" I growled lowly, trying not to wake Anako or Rhyns.

"Mah, I was already awake and decided that there was no need to wake you when you were so soundly asleep." He waved dismissively, his eye going back to the book.

"You need to sleep too!" I growled, pushing the book down. "How are suppose to complete your mission satisfactorily if you're sleep deprived?" I hissed at him, leaning in close.

"I'm used to not sleep for days." He gave an 'He' eyed smile, not trying raise his book until I had marched off, irked and rather dismissed.

I rummaged through my pack to find another glass seeing as my favourite one was scattered about the woods. My hand still stung a little so I also wrapped my hand before deciding that today was a good day to wear gloves. Kakashi noted this and cocked an eyebrow at me but said nothing.

"Did Rhyns leave us any snow?" I asked, scouring the campsite for my water bottle.

"No, here." He tossed me my water bottle, which was still full. I raised an eyebrow at him but poured a glass or so into the kettle Rhyns brought and put in on the fire.

Kakashi had stoked the fire into a decent cooking fire. He had some berries and fruits gathered in a basket but none of the typical breakfast foods. I hadn't really fully contemplated this before I had a glass of tea in hand.

That was about when I noticed Kakashi was no longer in his uniform. His silvery hair wasn't as poofy as normal, mostly due to the fact that he no longer had his hitai-ate holding it up. His silver hair had been combed to conceal his sharingan eye, which was covered by a black eye patch. He had his masked on as per usual and I was beginning to suspect it was attached to a shirt because a patch of shirt was visible from under the white jacket he wore that perfectly matched the colour of the mask. The white jacket had a slightly drooping mandarin collar and was lined red on the inside. It was short sleeved with a slit on both sleeves. It had a double zipper, the top zipper pulled up to his clavicle, the second just below the rib cage. He wore a metal chest plate that was higher on the right, where it was attached to a corded leather binding. The slightly tapered left side had plate metal banding up and down both sides of the chest, covering that entire side of the ribcage. He wore black jeans that stopped just above the ankles and had his kunai pouch strapped to his leg. He also wore gloves, though his were fingerless and went half way up his forearms.

"Mah, Iruka sensei, it's getting awkward with you staring like that." Kakashi deadpanned, his eye on the book rather than me.

"Sorry Kakashi san, I just don't think I've ever seen you out of uniform." I gave a weak chuckle, distracting myself with my tea. "What happened to that robber?"

"Dunno." He shrugged, feigning disinterest. "Anako san went after him and I haven't seen hide or hair of the robber."

"Oh."

It wasn't long after that everybody was up. Rhyns had set about breaking camp without complaint. He hummed instead of whistled, clearly unfamiliar with our myth and folklore.

I started when a flock of crows flew over head, that foreboding feeling returning with a vengeance. I was seriously doubting if it was a good idea to hang around these people. Rhyns was very kind and gentle despite the wicked gleam in his eyes, and Anako was vigilant to protect the man even to the point of it being creepy. I couldn't find fault in either and I didn't really want to draw them into this upcoming disaster.

I tried to forget about it and concentrate on teaching Rhyns and watching out for more bad omens. It didn't help distract me though, for it was fact that we're a group of four. I was really wishing that the Hokage hadn't sent Kakashi or had sent another person to keep us a neutral five.

I wasn't too surprised when Rhyns leveled a harsh glare at me, his mauve eyes staring into my black eyes. He was very perceptive and easily picked up on my discomfort.

"I'm very sorry Rhyns san, I'm distracted."

"I can tell." He stated, but wrapped his arm around mine and patted that arm with his free hand. "Tell me because."

"About it." I corrected, "tell me about it." He repeated, etching it into his memory before asking again. I sighed and patted his arm back. "I have a bad feeling Rhyns san. A very bad feeling."

Rhyns whispered something that was probably lewd in his own language, his lips pulling into a devilish smirk and eyes taking an equally evil glimmer. Anako tore him off me, hissing in his language at the ice apparition.

Rhyns snapped at him, nearly biting him before he yanked free and went to stand by Kakashi.

"What was that about?" I asked softly but Anako was refusing to acknowledge me. I sighed in defeat and followed along silently until Rhyns drifted back, not looking at all remorseful, which made Anako glower at him.

"I like keep practicing. May I have book?" He held out his hand for the scroll. I passed it over, wondering how he was going to get by with the words when he ran up to Kakashi.

"Kakashi _sensei_?" Kakashi blinked at him for a second before nodding. "Kakashi san help Rhyns?" He partially unfurled the scroll, expertly rolling it up on the other side so it didn't drag.

"Why isn't Iruka sensei helping?"

"Anako not jealous Kakashi san."

"You are really bad with particles." Kakashi stated but didn't turn away when Rhyns pointed to a word he didn't know.

It was rather endearing to watch Kakashi with someone like Rhyns, who had a child like quality that his rather scary adult self. Kakashi didn't really seem the type to be patient with children and the way Rhyns would whine and hang off him really seemed to unnerve the poor jounin.

He would flinch slightly, his hand twitching for a kunai, every time Rhyns grabbed arm, which was like watching a snake strike. He was surprisingly fast, fast enough to keep up with Kakashi at least.

We set up camp that night and Rhyns slinked back over to me, his arms encircling my waist before I realized what he was doing. He pressed his face to my back, nuzzling the hollow between my shoulder blades.

"Kakashi san no fun because Iruka chan."

"Like. Kakashi sensei isn't fun like Iruka sensei." I corrected, patting his hands, signaling him to let me go. He grudgingly obeyed, following me about, chatter away, trying to learn by doing.

"Iruka sensei, we need to gather some firewood." Kakashi called, waving to get my attention.

"On it!" I called back and had barely taken a step when Anako was before me.

"Allow me." He bowed his head slightly and took Rhyns by the wrist. "Come help me." The duo shared a heavy moment before Rhyns nodded.

"Be back soon!" Rhyns chirped and they quickly headed after dry sticks and bark.

"Is really wise letting the two of the go out together?" Kakashi whispered, also deciding to suddenly appear before me.

"I doubt they'll find anything too dangerous." I shrugged and judging by Kakashi's exasperated sigh I must have missed his meaning.

"They might be plotting out there. Or running."

"It doesn't really feel like they're getting all that far away." I closed my eyes, watching with my minds' eye at their unique signatures. After spending a day and a night with the duo I had become attuned to that strange kekkei genkai of theirs. It had subtle differences and as ominous as it was, Anako's was brighter of the two, almost scalding to the touch; were as Rhyns was icy, his skin felt cold as corpse. It almost seemed like Anako took Rhyns heat, adding it to his own burning body.

I shrugged again, opening my eyes to see Kakashi studying me. I jerked back shooting him a disturbed look.

"I'm going to go check on them."

"Fine, fine. I'll start dinner." I waved him off, and checked on the pot of snow. Rhyns had taken to refilling his, Anako's and My water bottle and shrugging off Kakashi's rejection. However even Kakashi couldn't deny how useful his snow could be when preparing stocks for a dinner stew or for tea or any other cooking requirement. Today I used it to make rice and set to roasting the tubers Anako had dug up when we made camp.

That foreboding feeling had finally died down when I turned back for my bag to see a black cat seated right behind me. It's large yellow eyes staring up stoically at me. My breath caught in my throat for a second before I forced myself to calm down.

"Shoo kitty, we can't take you along with us." I said pleasantly, trying to shoo it with soft hand gestures. It mewed cutely, making me smile despite myself. "So cute!" I finally broke, kneeling to pet the lovable little thing.

I walked around it and it twisted in between my legs, nearly tripping me. I threw it some partially cooked rice and quickly set about my business while it was distracted by the rice. I had a second pot of simmering water, a contented cat on my lap, a dirtied plate and cooling rice and vegetables before Kakashi and the strange duo returned.

Kakashi was being supported by Rhyns, who oddly enough sported a blackening eye and had some tears in his beautiful furisode. Kakashi looked like he had a burn or two on his arms and his chest plate was dented, the jacket was torn and dirtied in a few places. Anako was fretfully combing his hair with his fingers, he looked the best of the three. His face was free of marring and his clothes only sporting a couple tears on the sleeves and one on his left shoulder.

"What the hell happened to you three!" I jumped to my feet, keeping the cat close to my chest.

"It was a miscommunication." Anako growled as he fetched a comb, setting to work on riding his glossy hair of tangles.

"I thought Rhyns was being assaulted..." Kakashi hissed as Rhyns eased him to the log beside me.

"I can sew shirt." Rhyns said, pulling at Kakashi's damaged jacket.

"I'll get those burns wrapped. Here hold this." I dropped the kitty in Kakashi's lap and quickly got some burn cream and bandages.

We all jolted at the sharp snap coming from Anako. He stared at his comb, which was now missing a few teeth. He blinked and I shuddered, barely able to contain my growing anxiety.

It hadn't taken us long to get everybody and their wardrobe all patched. Rhyns turned out to be quite the seamstress and had put the garments back together as flawlessly as possible. Anako had reheated the metal, and gentle buffed the metal back into place. It also was given an accidental shine that glinted like the sun in the firelight.

We played Janken again to see who got first watch was Kakashi again this time with Anako as the overlap and third watch.

It hadn't taken us long to settle in but whatever had happened was making me curious and trying to extract information from Rhyns was like trying to extract information from Ibiki. I sat there for a few minutes just regulating my breathing and relaxing my body enough to seem alert but asleep.

I was nearly asleep when I heard Anako and Kakashi start to converse. It was softly spoken in as low an octave as they could muster.

"Sorry about that, I didn't know." Kakashi spoke first, the light hiss of fabric suggesting he made some sort of gesture.

"I know, we try to hide it."

"It wouldn't matter if you didn't. In fact you should probably tell Iruka sensei. He'll make Rhyns stop if you do." Anako gave a dark chuckle in response and the silence seemed to drag on forever.

"Is Iruka sensei always like this?" Anako finally decided to speak again.

"I don't know. I haven't really spoken to him before." Kakashi sighed and there was the soft scrape of paper on paper as he took out his book.

"Then why are you here?" I could feel the absolute zero cold the duo were emanating, trying to test the other. It was so cold I began to shiver.

It wasn't long after that they stopped, Kakashi giving a faint chuckle and Anako issued an amused scoff. "Truce." They spoke together and the faint slap of hands followed.


	3. Now

Hello, sorry I hadn't much to say last chapter but I was trying to fullfill my Thursday deadline and rushed to post the new chapter. Well I hope you enjoy this chapter too.

Note: For those of you who are severly confused about some of my word choices, I'll enlighten you; Tabi= ninja shoes, Furisode literally mean long sleeves, 'He' is referencing the Japanese letter, most commonly seen in Naruto on the Henohenomoheji drawing Kakashi uses, and Janken-Po is rock-paper-scissors... If there's some that are still confusing ask me about it and I'll include that next chapter for clairifcation for any one else.

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Chapter Three: Now

The next two days passed by in a blur of motion and chatter. Since whatever that little scuffle was, the trio had they had become fast friends. They would converse now, and Rhyns seemed to be doing better now that he could hear Kakashi and I talk to each other.

Kakashi never really stopped observing them but he had definitely come to agree with me that they were mostly harmless.

Anako now was at point with Rhyns standing between Kakashi and myself. He would ask a lot of open ended questions, trying to draw as much of the language out of us as he could The oddest part though would be whenever Rhyns tried to hang on me or touched me for too long, Kakashi would give him a friendly cuff on the head and tell he knows better.

Rhyns would then promptly blush slightly and stick the tip of tongue out at Kakashi.

But since we had finally reached the mountains I was feeling slightly better and had been able to relax and enjoy their amusing company more.

"Mah, Iruka sensei, you're glowing." Kakashi called, turning to Rhyns for confirmation.

"Just like the sun!" Rhyns grinned and giving me a double thumbs up.

Even Anako chuckled at that.

I continued to climb on, taking point as we explored a bit. Every time we located a cave we would briefly survey it, seeing if it would be viable for inhabitation for the next tenday. There were a fair amount of shallow pock mark caves that most animals would choose to live in dotting the earlier leg of the climb, but as we wound our way around the mountain, deeper, cooler caves became more common.

Being that we all carried light loads and, ironically enough, all have several meters of rope we took to spelunking. I personally was hoping for an underground pool or waterfall. They're always so pretty and fun to wonder where they originate from.

Well that's not too hard a guess considering the river cutting through mountain barely 6 kilometers north west of here.

"Hey! Iruka chan! Come look here!" Rhyns broke me from my reveries as he pointed into a cave opening about a meter above me.

Anako and Kakashi were quicker than I and started to probe into the earth when I got there. Rhyns stayed by the entrance and I had been opting to stay with him because Anako had insisted that he check the cave before we all entered.

Kakashi had then sent me a look telling me I should keep an eye on the ice apparition, just in case he decides he's always wanted to take a tumble down the side of a mountain rendering himself unconscious if not dead. After all it'd be a brand new sensation.

I kept back a step, using my physical presence as a buffer zone between Rhyns and his clumsiness. I was surveying the landscape from the high perch when a glint suddenly caught my eye.

It winked once at me then vanished. I was more than half tempted to leap down the mountain and search for whatever it was I had seen. However just as I was about to call out my intentions to everybody, a hands tightly gripped my hips and pulled me away from the edge.

"Iruka chan, let's go. Kakashi san says there's a deep pit back there." Rhyns whispered into my ear, pressing himself flush against my back.

I was sorely tempted to rush out anyways but let Rhyns drag me back to the pit. Anako was tying off the rope to a rather large rock and tying the other end to his waist. We had agreed that this trip would be as chakra less as possible. I didn't really care because I rarely used much chakra on a daily basis anyways.

"How'd you get to be lucky number one?" I asked sarcastically, flashing a barely seen smile.

"I can fly." He stated, tugging on the rope, before giving a couple of stretches.

"Really?" I gaped at him as he walked to the edge of the hole then took measured steps back. He inhaled deeply then flung himself over the edge. I raced to the edge, watching his decent for as long as I could, then watched the twisting rope fade into the same darkness until it snapped taut. I gasped as a faint echoing thud followed the snapping of the rope.

However seconds before my body could catch up with my panicking mind, there were two tugs on the rope followed by a pause then two more tugs.

"That means he's reached the bottom and we can throw the next rope down." Kakashi whispered, clapping me on the shoulder reassuringly.

He grabbed the second tied off rope and wrapped it loosely around Rhyns. Rhyns had removed his cheongsam-furisode like dress and was clad in a slightly more traditional cheongsam. It had capped sleeves instead of the billowing furisode and was slightly shorter. Rhyns also had finally exchanged his shoes for thickly soled flats that would give him plenty of grip for his decent.

He clipped the makeshift harness Rhyns had on to both of the lines. He had an auto breaker on the first line, Rhyns was holding the release mechanism so it wouldn't have to be slid down every three steps he repelled.

"Anako assures me you know how to do this, so you better not slip, Rhyns san." Kakashi said sternly, his hands closed over Rhyns' conveying his worry.

Rhyns grinned back, he gave us a salute and stepped backwards, over the edge of the pit. A few seconds later the second rope went taut and when we peered over the edge Rhyns was easily repelling down the craggy cave wall.

"You're next Iruka sensei." Kakashi already had us all in harnesses once we reached the mountain and he had already attached me to the third rope. "Incoming!" He called and the rope supporting Rhyns stilled. He tossed the rope over and gave a steeling inhale. "Be careful Iruka sensei, Anako san doesn't want to have to catch any one trying to fall to their death. He's says it's a total mood killer." Kakashi joked slightly and gave him my best reassuring smile.

"This isn't the first time I've repelled using this system." I cast him a sardonic smile and dropped over side just like Rhyns. However I let myself fall further than he did before actually repelling.

Being doted after wasn't at all pleasant for me and scaring him half to death was plenty of warning not to do it again.

Sure enough, it took him a bit longer to toss over the last line and get on his way. I casually watched the lines jump and wriggle as my two companions climbed on. When Rhyns reached the bottom he gave the rope two tugs, let it hang still for a couple moments before gave two more, just like Anako did. I smiled knowing that meant I was nearly to the bottom. The repelling was easy and not too dangerous because the cave wall was surprisingly smooth. It was just boring to stare at for a fifteen minute repel.

When I got to the bottom, Rhyns helped me land and I gave my code before and shirked off the ropes. The climb up wasn't going to be very fun and Kakashi had insisted on going last so he could put spikes into the wall for the climb out. As a result his took nearly twice as long, and the entire time Anako's head was tilted up, his eerie blue eyes seeing through the dark veil separating us. When Kakashi descended into my viewing range I had started to watch continuously also.

He left the last spike a bit out of reach but in far enough that it could easily hold our weight when we hung off it. He sighed and cracked his back, stretching his sore muscles.

"Mah, why don't we stop here for the night." He laughed, waving dismissively at his comment meaning to indicate it was joke.

We laughed slightly and Anako swiftly started on. He summoned a bubble of flame that hovered before each of us. If we were still too long the bubble would start to drift about, slowly spiraling around us. Anako's floated at the crown of his head, the bubble never straying too far. Kakashi's and mine both were floating languidly at chest level, hovering over the most condensed area of chakra in the human body. Rhyns on the other hand was floating quite a ways from him, trying to keep away from the cold that constantly radiated from him. It floated higher than Kakashi and mine but seemed to struggle to stay aloft, constantly bobbing up and down.

The fire warded off the faint chill of the depth and illuminated the way perfectly. We traveled in quiet until we hit a forked tunnel. After closer inspection Kakashi announced he could hear water running through the left tunnel.

After Anako scored the cave wall we excitedly rambled down the tunnel.

"Wai! Iruka chan this is so exciting!" Rhyns trilled, leaning into my shoulder. He had put his heels back on after landing and once more stood slightly taller than me and had slouched to fit into my shoulder.

"I know! I always loved spelunking!" I grinned from ear to ear, slipping my arm around Rhyns' narrow hips to keep him steady.

He had strong ankles but some of those stumbles looked pretty scary.

Anako shot Rhyns a bored look, rolling his eyes for whatever reason. However that cued Kakashi to waltz over and slip in between us. He slung his arms over our shoulders and was giving his infamous 'He' eyed smile. From this angle though I could see his lips twist up under the mask.

"Mah, Iruka sensei, should we camp down here?" I had relocated my hand from Rhyns hip to Kakashi's when he weaseled in and was mildly surprised that his bones were remarkably thicker than Rhyns'. I was then trying to subtly check the thickness of my own hip, slightly concerned for Rhyns.

When Kakashi tossed a raised eyebrow my way, I decided to throw out a distraction "I don't care, but we don't have any fire wood." I grinned back and chuckled at his antics.

"I can keep a fire like this going even after I fall asleep." Anako stated as he fell into step, weaseling in between Kakashi and Rhyns just like Kakashi earlier.

Rhyns proceeded to nuzzle happily into Anako's shoulder, grateful for the height difference apparently. I chuckled slightly at his antics too.

"It's a pity we only have ten more days..." I sighed, kicking at the ground and giving a humourless grin to the pocked ceiling. The occasional bat hissed at our flames but merely scuttled away, too tired to bother with us.

"Yeah... We need to come back here Anako." Rhyns murmured, smiling gratefully at Kakashi and I. He looked up hopefully at Anako who smiled and nodded back.

"Indeed, this was fun."

"Mmm." Kakashi hummed his agreement, tilting head as he smiled towards me.

We hadn't ventured too far down the tunnel, scoring only one more fork before I realized we had unconsciously paired off. Anako and Rhyns were slightly ahead of Kakashi and I, and Kakashi seemed to be settling closer and closer with each step.

"Ah... Kakashi san... I know why I was holding Rhyns san... But why am I holding you?"

"Mah, Iruka sensei, how is Rhyns san so special?" I could tell he was being sarcastic, obviously messing with me. I smirked a bit on the inside at his teasing.

"Because Rhyns insists on wearing high heels even while spelunking in rather unexplored caves." After all I severely doubt we're the first people to stumble upon this cave and have a niggle of an idea that exploring would great fun, if not great peril.

After all, with great risk comes great ramen... or something to that affect.

Kakashi merely chuckled in defeat and extricated himself. I rolled my shoulder in relief and slowly moved the stretch down my body; getting my back, neck, lower back, and oddly enough, my right elbow to crack and snap as they realigned themselves.

We made a few more scores on the walls, only once back tracking after running into a caved in tunnel. Rhyns led the way, his ice apparition status enough to be a natural douser. He insists that if the wrong turn had not been caved in, we would already be there.

However it didn't take him long to navigate us to roaring waterfall. The roar steadily growing like the crescendo of jaunty tune. The nearly deafening crush of water on stone became voided when I set my eyes upon it.

Holes had grown through the rocky ceiling, allowing slants of light to filter into the damp darkness. Little glittering rainbows danced across the waterfall as we approached, lighting up the dusty, sediment laden water into a sparkling green and silver crush. It shone like metal fresh from the forge with the sea reflected upon its' glittering surface.

Rhyns gasped in his language, the note sounding rather reverent. Anako's eyes lit in surprise and cautiously followed Rhyns as he drew closer to the edge of the underground river.

I know I was stunned and felt a large but serene smile play on lips. I beamed it about my companions, watching their reactions more closely.

Rhyns seemed at war with touching the waterfall or not getting wet. He strayed as close as he dare to the finely misting waterfall, staying on the edge of the wetness. However the few stray droplets that flew his way promptly hardened into ice and zipped a bit further before shatter against the stone.

Anako lingered further back, completely out of the zone. He was angled enough so it was hard tell if he was looking more at Rhyns or the breathtaking waterfall.

Kakashi's slouch was lessened and he seemed to be leant slightly more forward than back, hand brushing against the eye patch, torn between revealing the sharingan or not. He finally lifted it enough to peek at the falls and hastily slide it back into place.

"Mah... We should find a place to set up camp. Or should we go back up?" Once Rhyns processed this he made a face of disgust, fervently shaking his head.

"Why leave? So beauty!" He nearly giggled, although his voice and character made a giggle perfectly fitting. Anako on the other hand...

"There are three tunnels, we should each take one. Rhyns can choose whom he goes with." Anako said indicating the three tunnels with a flat, open-palmed sweeping gesture, halting at the entrances.

"Rhyns san should walk we with me." Kakashi's eye crinkled in the 'He' symbol and I could feel the intensity of it. He wasn't asking.

Rhyns, seemingly oblivious, simply smiled and latched onto his arm. "Where go?" Kakashi lead them to the nearest opening and I took the one across the river because Anako immediately turned away from that one, leaving only that one.

I didn't mind at. I strolled to the river, peering into the silver and green, enjoying the twisting, glittering bands of sediments. The tightly packed, fast racing ripples were occasionally broken, blurring my view rather hypnotically, as a few far reaching drops rained my way. It was mesmerizing, almost addicting. I had forced myself away when I heard a sharp trill of laughter from Rhyns.

I smirked at the cave tunnel and skipped across the rocks to the other side. It was surprisingly effortless. I wasn't even using my ninja skills. While I was willing to adhere to the chakra-less expedition, when no one's watching surely wouldn't be any harm in using some.

The tunnel was oddly bland, it was rather smooth with a sheen of water coating it and small rills running along the joint of the wall and floor. The rills were barely filled despite to condensation on the walls. The floor was also rather tidy. Only the occasional gravel sized stone, often resting just beside the rills, never in the center.

It was very curious and made me stretch my senses to the max, trying to probe for more information.

However the rock was adamantly holding its secrets.

The end on the tunnel came with a large, also disturbingly smooth rock that looked like it had been cut and placed there. The rills were the only thing that could get around the rock. I knelt into the rills, trying to peer beneath the stone but the all consuming darkness was impervious to Anako's firelight.

I sighed, brushing at the lightly damp tips of my hair and pressed an ear to the rock. There was something there, some odd sensation that was tapping at the edge of my consciousness. I waved away the light squeezing my eyes shut, pushing the energy from sight, taste, and smell. Giving all my energy to the rock, trying to melt into it, feel what it was feeling.

I jumped out of my skin when a hand grabbed my shoulder.

I was on its chest, a kunai at their throat before my sense caught up with my body. I groaned in relief, amorphously sliding off him. I sent a shaken smile to Kakashi as I sloshed against the wall, trying to shake away the scare.

"Mah, sooo jumpy Iruka sensei." Kakashi's voice was light and airy but I hadn't failed to notice the kunai he had at my thigh.

"It's been a long time since I've been underground." I joked, waving my hand dismissively, dropping my hand to my arms crossed on my knees. "Sorry though, you really did startle me."

I could feel his considering gaze, judging me, trying to tell if I was lying. So I was avoiding eye contact by feigning anxiety over the scare. I gave another nervous laugh to keep him off and pushed off against the wall.

I nearly over balanced but Kakashi caught my shoulders, stabilizing me. I ducked my head in thanks, tilting my head ever so slightly to try and convey that I was fine.

His eye finally curved, telling me he was willing to buy my story for now.

"Mah, I think Anako found us a cave to take shelter in. You should come see it."

"I will, I just want to recover a little bit more..." I gave a self depreciating laugh, rubbing the back of my head. I closed one eye in a faked wince and forced some heat my face as if embarrassed. He gave an indifferent wave and took off.

After he was around the corner I could let the carefree mask drop to reveal my horror. I gave a shiver as I turned back to the rock. I pressed a chakra filled hand to the stone, nervously cutting off senses. However I was right. Terribly, horrifyingly right.

It had a faint heartbeat.

* * *

I jogged to catch up with Kakashi and he was kicking stones across the river as gracefully as if were actually skipping them with his hands. I applauded his skill which made the trio jump slightly, heads whipping to me.

"That's amazing Kakashi san!" I grinned widely, somewhat awed. It was a diversionary tactic mostly. One that worked on most people and I was hoping would work here.

However these three were undoubtedly intelligent and crafty people. Anako kicked up an eyebrow, his eyes asking 'what in the hells I was talking about'. Rhyns had opted for unabashed confusion bordering on questioning my sanity. Kakashi felt, more than looked, both mildly confused and bemused.

"You're very good at skipping those stones." He gave another one a kick, it bounced across the water before striking the other bank and rocketing around with noisy clatters.

Rhyns seemed to consider it for a moment before kicking at a rock also. It promptly sank. He gave an indignant puff of his chest, his eyes going wide with rage. He kicked at another rock, eliciting a small 'plunk' as it too sank. He growled again, kicking a barrage of stones at the river.

Kakashi dove aside as some of the rocks sailed clean over the river and bounced about erratically.

I could only smirk as Rhyns stood there panting and angry. His legs bowed out, both his knees and elbows forming a perfect 90 degree angle.

"Look! I do it too!" Rhyns roared, pointing to some of the rocks he kicked over.

If he hadn't been so serious I would have laughed. Thankfully Anako did that for me.

He chuckled, clearly find him endearing. Wrapping his lean frame to Rhyns' equally lean frame as he lead the man away. He looked back, nodding for us to follow. Kakashi looked back to me, his eye crinkled with laughter and easily leapt across the river in a single bound.

I followed suit, using the same stepping stones I had the first time.

I was a fairly straight weave to the chamber Anako had found. If one stayed in a straight line, veering no more than 20 degrees, they'd be in the chamber. There were seven forks to the large cavern. It had a high ceiling that was lost to the shadows. The flickering flames made the shadows writhe about the stalactites that poked through the darkness.

I had been staring up at the ceiling without looking and stumbled into Rhyns. We went flying to the ground in a tangle of limbs. He squeaked as we collided but I managed to maneuver us so I was one on the bottom when we hit ground.

We gave one faint bounce, my head almost whipping back from where I had buried it in my chest. My back felt a couple of rocks dig at it, and my tailbone was hardly grateful for my kindness.

"You okay Rhyns?" I coughed out, the wind knocked slightly from me.

"Perfectly, Iruka chan." He gave a wavering smile as he slid up my body so he look me in the eyes. He barely held himself over me, his hair dripping onto my chest, tickling the exposed skin of my chest, twisting under the net shirt.

I carefully tucked it behind his ear so it quit tickling me.

"Mah, you two look all breathless and steamy." Kakashi teases, his eye taking a rather perverted gleam. "Mind it I join you two?" He asked rather sing-songly.

"W-w-what!" I stammered, blinking confusedly. My mouth fell slightly agape, my brain assaulted with waaaaaaay too much information.

Rhyns giggled and pressed a finger to my jaw, easing my jaw shut. "So cute!" He grinned and fluidly rose to his feet. He leant forward invitingly, thrusting out his hand. I took his wrist and his deceptively strong hand hauled me to my feet.

"Iruka chan need pay attention." He softly giggled and just like I mused, a giggle fit him perfectly. Only Rhyns could pull off a giggle like that.

The cavern was rather spacious and loosely dotted with boulders. It had a rather imperious feel to it. However it had four caves branching off it. Anako had scored three of them. The forth was high above us and rather easy to miss when not knocked on ones back by their own stupidity.

"Shall we set up camp and look about these tunnels?" I suggested, Rhyns pouted, looking rather pensive. That was when I realized he was trying to translate something.

He spoke softly to Anako who quietly answered him, annunciating enough for me to know what he was asking but waited for Rhyns to ask.

"We go swim?" He grinned hopefully, batting his long purple eyelashes at me.

"Sure." I gave in, sighing and turning to Kakashi. "Are you coming?" He shrugged indifferently and gave a 'He' eyed smile.

"I will watch." Anako stated before I could ask. He was sliding off his sash and jacket, folding them neat over a cloak he suddenly produced.

I stripped my jacket and netting off and slowly unwrapped my burned hand. The burn had eased away and the typical tan of my skin had reasserted its self. I smiled at that and put down my satchel and pouch. I would take my kunai pouch but I wasn't going to swim with it on. I had an emergency one strapped to my left thigh should I need it.

Being I didn't have shorts I went in my pants, briefly skirting away so I could take off my underwear.

Rhyns hadn't really done much, he still had on his stockings and cheongsam. This cheongsam looked a little more translucent but otherwise the same as his capped sleeved one. However he had his hair tied back, situated slightly above the nap of his neck.

Kakashi had dispensed with his armour and jacket and, as I suspected, the sleeveless shirt and mask were one in the same. He had lain the gloves atop the jacket lain across a boulder. He had kept his kunai pouch strapped to his leg and was letting his hair do at pleased.

Anako had somehow managed to wrestle his lengthy hair into a neat, tight braid. It made his sever face look regal and imposing. His face was much more narrow and angular now that the edges weren't being softened by the slightly rippling cascades of ebony framing his face. He wore a simple black tank top and his skin tight pants, which were slightly rippled by the shirt being tucked in the hem.

"Untuck you shirt. That looks silly." I stated before I meant too, my hand slapping over my mouth. However he submitted to my opinion and pulled it free.

"I was beginning to believe so also." He stated monotonously, giving a shrug of nonchalance as he strode towards the waterfall.

We followed quickly, barely memorizing the look of the caverns from this angle. It was equally awe inspiring to see the falls a second time. The setting sun had altered the rainbows, transforming them into golden hues that made the silvery minerals shine copper. The roar of the falls was becoming comforting, a soothing voice of chaos that washed the oppressive feeling of doom and gloom from me.

I gave a relieved sigh, pushing the tension from me as I charged carelessly into the river. With a ululation I rushed in to the bone chilling water. I laughed as I felt the blood instantly draw from extremities. My lips were probably already blue.

Rhyns was about to follow when Anako picked him out of the air, setting him back on his feet. He took out the jar from a couple days ago, pressing a couple vivid blue pills into Rhyns hand.

"Sorry, I forgot." Rhyns stuck out the tip of his tongue and quickly slapped the pills into his mouth.

"What were those?" Kakashi asked, he had snuck to the edge of the river whilst I was focused on Rhyns and Anako.

"Drugs!" Rhyns proclaimed joyously, his grin much too innocent for him.

"Medicine!" Anako quickly corrected, his hand slapping to his face, pulling the skin as he dragged it heavily down his face.

However Kakashi and I shared a rather skeptical look before studying the duo. Rhyns didn't seem to notice the difference still and was holding his arms out, trying to catch the mist billow out. Little icy shards now clung to his arms and glittering snowflakes shimmered around. Slowly less and less began to appear, rapidly Rhyns broke into a manic grin. He charged at the water, flinging himself at the waterfall.

His 'spalsh' out did the roar of the waterfall and filled the cavern with a deathly silence.

I hadn't gotten that far out to check the depth of the water. Kakashi and I were moving closer and Anako stood, looking helpless from the shore a fine steam wafting about him as the impossibly hot man heated the mist.

I was about to duck under the falls when I heard a cough and sputter. Rhyns stumbled out of the falls, the rush of water knocking him back in the water. Kakashi and I hauled him to shore, hovering over him as he shook himself.

Finely grinned helplessly, trying to ooze charm. "I found another cavern." He chuckled weakly, trying not to shift under out collective glares.

Anako finally let out a gasping sigh, his legs giving out and he sunk to a short rock. His head was bowed wearily and his shoulders gave one shudder. "Please do not play with me so."

Rhyns sighed and spoke in his quiet hissing language, looking a little put out. He flung his head aside in a jerky fashion, whipping the bangs stuck to his forehead aside. "I am truly sorry." He whispered to Kakashi and I.

Well either way, we were done. I was starting to feel numb and my form was shaking, almost violently so. Kakashi looked cold too, but he was either better at hiding or he hadn't gotten as wet. Rhyns, aside from the slight scolding, was perfectly fine. He would probably be happy to spend hours in the frigid stream.

Kakashi helped pull me out of the water, bracing me against him when I staggered. We made an uncoordinated mash up, stumbling to and fro when our tenuous balance teetered. However we did manage to scoop up my kunai and tabi before stumble back to camp.

Before we left the waterfall however, Anako had swept us close to him, his fiery aura nearly scorching as it evaporated the clinging water and chill.

When we got back to the camp my body was finally adjusted to sudden temperature change enough for me to thank him profusely.

He nodded and gave a faintly sad tinged smile. It didn't take me long to collapse, apologizing to Rhyns for not being able to give him his lesson. I couldn't quite make out what he was saying but I do believe it was Japanese.

* * *

Comeplete! And the next update should be late next Thursday! Cuz late is the only time I'm up.

Also, I was thinking about making a companion piece to this, one either in Kakashi's POV or having the POV hang about Kakashi. I haven't started it, but it would fill in the blank spots that this piece will leave. After all Iruka can't be everywhere.


	4. Now: Guillotine

Okay, well I'm back a bit sooner than expected but that's cuz I'm in a giving mood. Somebody reviewed for one of my other Fanfictions that I had left on hiatus and it got me in a writing mood. Well, you get to reap the beniefits of my good mood, so enjoy!

* * *

Chapter Four: Now; The Guillotine

* * *

I woke with a start my mind failing to recall whatever I had been dreaming about, all I knew was that it had to with the encroaching disaster that was approaching. I could feel the heaviness of the chaos surrounding me and was forced to my feet by them.

I was pulling on my satchel and pouch before I had even realized that my three companions were in varying states of alarm at my sudden movements.

"I have to go." I stated with a growl, my eyes instantly going to the opening in the rock face about four meters above our campsite.

"Mah, Iruka sensei what's the rush?" Kakashi asked, already by my side with Anako and Rhyns swiftly beside him.

I didn't really know how to respond, was adamant not to tell anyone about the omens or the oppressive weight of an oncoming disaster. And now that I began thinking of it, caves were a really terrible place to await a forth coming apocalypse that the Land of Fire has never seen before. Well maybe it had, after all we seem rather unlucky in our peace efforts. Constantly at war with other shinobi, random insurgents attacking, great and powerful beasts attacking…

It almost makes me yearn for a different place to live.

"I need to go." I ground out after reattaching my kunai pouch and adjusting the hem of my jacket. "You guys stay here."

"What!" Rhyns screeched, suddenly blast forth to yank me from my feet. He was oddly powerful. "Sure I do not understand."

"It's alright, I'll be back." I tried to grin but it was difficult with my breath still wheezing out of my clenched lungs. I was breathing through my nose to try to even my breath but the stares from Anako and Kakashi made me wonder if I was even remotely succeeding.

"Mah, that's not such a good Iruka sensei." Kakashi was aiming for a bored dismissal but he didn't hide the anxious stare well.

I didn't help my cause any when that anxious stare made me start laughing. Anxiety was hardly large enough to describe what was about to happen. When he finally looks deathly ill from the realization that doom's sickle has its self around our necks and the sickle has yet to stop moving, then he will finally grasp the horrors I know are coming.

"There's no time, I must go."

"Then we'll come with you." Anako growled, his dangerous eyes back. If I wasn't already suffocating from the feeling of dread the gaze may have had its' desired effect. I shook my head at them, finally pulling myself free from Rhyns.

"I'm sorry." I bowed my head, trying to breathe again when I heard it.

The unmistakable sound of a sickle swinging down.

The tunnel we had come from suddenly began to glow and ever so soft scuffles of feet on stone rang in my ears. I could tell everybody else heard it too though.

Rhyns snuffed out the fire with a blast of chill, Anako pulled on a cloak with a flashy pull, causing all our camp wares to vanish. Kakashi, who I assume was on guard, merely drew a kunai and lifted his hitai-ate.

"Shinobi." He whispered gravely, looking back at us.

Judging from the size of the light and the faintness of the shuffling I'd reckon that they were still at the first or second junction. It wouldn't take them too long to figure out Anako's scoring pattern though. They'd use our own tracking methods against us.

"The cave up there!" I tried to scramble up the rock face, but without using chakra the surface was too smooth and the jaunt impossible.

"There is an opening behind waterfall." Rhyns pulled me off the wall, pointing back to the tunnel the waterfall was in.

Anako made a sudden noise of discomfort that drew Kakashi back from the entrance. "I cannot go there." He spoke softly, and just because of the approaching dangers. "I do not have any medicine."

"You do not!" Rhyns gave a rather shrill hiss, forcefully grabbing Anako's arm, spinning him so their eyes could meet.

"I did not."

"Mah, Anako san, fly up a rope and drop it down. We'll climb up." Kakashi had meandered back over, his keen eyes judging the rock face silently.

"No…" Rhyns sighed, his obvious reluctance for whatever he next wants add coming off him in waves. "… I can fly."

Kakashi and I both baulked at him before turning to each other than to Anako. He was giving Rhyns a contemplative stare before also heaving a sigh. He dug a cloak out from some mysterious place in his own, handing it over to Rhyns.

Rhyns murmured softly in his language before the billowing cloak went ridged, the corners pulling outwards until the fabric was taut. The cloak suddenly became a soft but alluring blue before the cloak transformed into a set of silver feathered wings. He gave a powerful flap of his wide wings and was pulled off the ground. He circled the cavern, gather strength and speed before swooping at me.

He tugged me into the air by my armpits before adjusting me so he had me around the waist. I twisted slightly to watch him circle again, gaining altitude this time.

He just about threw me into the opening before he himself joined me. His wings dissolved into a flurry of white iridescent feather that popped out existence when they contacted something. As he stepped from the feathers the cloak rematerialized and swished dutifully behind him.

"Are you alright?" I whispered, taking his tanned face in my hands. He smiled at me, patting me on the head like I was a two year old before stepping back.

Anako and Kakashi arrived much more gracefully; Anako merely dropped Kakashi before gliding over head to settle just a meter ahead of us. I surprised at how different the wings were and the way they dispersed themselves.

Whereas Rhyns' were white, Anako's were a startling crimson so deep they looked almost black, however the tips were a fiery red that seemed aflame in flight. And when he landed he seemed to just shrug off his massive wings, the feather crumbling to ash about him and seeping into the stone.

He waited for us come stoically, his eyes seeming to have taken to burning about the edges, small barely noticeable flickers of flames dancing with the micrometer between the iris and the pupil.

I gasped at the panic it drew from me, beside me Kakashi tensed, his chakra pooling around him as he prepared a jutsu. However Rhyns burst in between us, rushing to Anako.

"Lead!" He barked, sounding extremely authoritative, his eyes as cold as his chakra.

Kakashi and I exchanged testing glances, trying to see if the other had seen that. I was suddenly wondering if these two were the disaster that would end me... It hardly seemed implausible. They had managed to disarm Kakashi once and they had strange abilities and kekkei genkai so strong they required medicine to suppress.

While Rhyns doesn't look suited to combat, the easy way he deals with danger and weapons I can tell he's no stranger to it. In fact I'd say he wasn't lying when he announced he was an assassin the first time I met him. Even with this broken terrain and precarious situation he walked effortlessly in heels, hips even managing a seductive sway.

Anako was obviously dangerous, the only question was how dangerous. He possessed an ability to draw things from nowhere and replace them there. His constitution looked frail and his disarming companion made him seem like an unlucky hired hand, whom tended to have little to no formal training. However, just like Kakashi, he struck a more demure and lackadaisical personality to make him uninteresting and forgettable. But those eyes will forever haunt me, they immolated everything reflected in them.

It was no wonder why Rhyns was so cold, if he weren't he'd be ash by now.

My body flinched at the memory of his volcanic embrace, the water boiling on my skin before dissipating into harmless puffs of steam.

I caught Kakashi's eye, he was silently screaming out to me asking 'what are these people?' and I had no answers for him.

We both had silently agreed that ditching them was a must and I could tell Kakashi was about to switch himself with a shadow clone when Anako's fierce glare fell on up. Challenging us to go through with the plan.

He stopped and turned, his eyes narrowing in unfettered, boiling rage. The thin line of fire had consumed his entire iris, the blue completely lost to the hellfire it contained.

Kakashi and I fought the gaze but I could feel myself losing ground. The air in my lungs built as I found myself unable to exhale. The kunai in my hand trembled, barely remaining in my hand. I tried to get to the hidden kunai without those eyes seeing. It was as futile as trying to hide from Hyuuga eyes.

I could feel my head growing light and the air wheezing out of my throat as I forced myself not to inhale.

Rhyns remained dutifully beside Anako this time, eyes colder than I've ever seen them. They refused to back down or give into my pleading eyes.

Felt the familiar fuzziness paint the edge of my vision. Soon my legs would give and I'd meet the rock. I felt something sting my eyes.

Sorry Kakashi, I guess I doomed you too. I am just a chuunin after all...

* * *

I was hardly aware I was breathing let alone not dead when I felt my feet being dragged every step or so when they stumbled. I was as graceful as a marionette with its' strings cut. And about as strong.

I fisted the material beneath my hands, trying to pull my feet under me. Whoever was dragging me hadn't slowed a step and their ragged breathing was being panted into my ear. I nearly reeled back when I finally pried open an eye, the world was spinning and flashes of colour danced about, obscuring my vision.

The strong arms pulled me closer, trying to set me better so I wasn't stumbling as much. It wasn't really going happen soon, but I let them try and gave my legs permission to spin as much they wanted.

My throat burned and my lungs heaved, not pleased at all about having to run and breath at the same time. I nearly laughed at that.

"Pathetic." I wheezed out accidentally and my body decided the comment was correct. Before I could even debate the merit of such a choice, I had pushed out, tossing aside whomever was supporting me.

My eyes still clenched tightly closed gave me no help as I crashed to the ground. I felt my legs pull me back to my feet and my lungs screamed for me sink back to the floor. I put one foot forward, not really knowing what I was doing. I tripped again, my hands splaying before me, keeping my arse in the air as I kept myself from falling forward.

The person was back, sliding an arm about my waist, the other hand dragging my arm across their shoulders. I made a token gesture of escape before allowing them to lead my body in its reckless rush.

I'm not even certain why I'm running.

I gagged again and I thought the breathes panted in my ear may have contained some sort of meaning but quickly dismissed it. I bit back a groan and squeezed into the supporting body, trying to stretch the wicked cramp growing in my side.

The not-quite-a-breath breath came again, this time there was niggle in my mind telling me that that breath was important. I let my subconscious chew on it as I focused on getting my eyes open.

My stomach lurched again as the eerie green and gray scenery rushed by. The green seemed to be rushing endlessly forward while the gray raced backwards. Right in the middle, which fell at the edge of my peripheries, the two swirled and raced towards me.

I lurched, my hapless stomach lashing out at me. I spit a glob of thick, mucus filled saliva but managed to keep the stomach from trying anything too rebellious.

However my eyes had once again fallen shut. I whimpered at the thought of trying this again. It never seemed to get better.

The other person seemed slow and we were abruptly moving a lot slower than my body wanted. I pulled at them, nudging them the best I could. I coughed around my words, getting another thick glob of mucus in place of words.

The person seemed to fall away and my legs once more lacked balance. I scrambled over the brittle stones and moist floor. I tried to regain my balance but I kept falling over. I gave one last push, one that sapped my strength for a split second. I felt my legs regain their precarious balance but the push had been too hard and I sailed to the side.

A wall just so happened to be there to catch me and I clung to the grainy surface, clawing at it, demanding balance from it.

That annoying breath came back, only it was no longer in my ear so it significantly less clear. I growled at it, hoping it would go away. Did it not understand that I needed to keep going forward?

I was suddenly yanked off my feet, falling back onto something relatively soft and comforting.

The breath returned and my subconscious suddenly opened, letting me know what it was.

"Iruka sensei stop. We lost them." My mind scrambled for more information, trying to see if I could grasp what the other breaths were.

"Where?" Was all I could spit out, the thick taste of bile and copper coating my tongue.

"The cave behind the waterfall."

That was when I realized how cold I was. My body was telling me to move because I could feel the pinpricks of numbness gathering in my fingers and toes. The anxious energy created by shivering was compelling my body forward, struggling valiantly to keep my icy, sludge like blood pumping.

I peeled back my eyes, the room spinning slightly before coming to sharp focus on Kakashi. He had his eye patch flipped up to reveal the sharingan. It spun about, not the typical lethargic circles of inactive nor the maddening swirling of focused use.

I chanced moving my head, slowly going from landmark to landmark, letting my vision snap in place before moving on.

There was more tunnel ahead of us, the direction I was facing. I could faintly hear the waterfall pounding away at the stone behind us.

"They can't get past the water." I breathed, remembering why we were here.

"Wrong. One cannot." The voice was familiar but the perfectness of the Japanese was not. But sure enough, there stood Rhyns, his form that of the ice apparition I saw when I first met him. I could almost smile at the memory.

"This is all my fault." I could help the manic grin pulling on to my face, the laugh was equally as sickening but I couldn't find any care. I threw my head back in laughter, the sad hollow sound hardly deserved to be called such.

_"O woeful creature, O sad song. Your presence but a shade, your fate such a short one. Ne're were such a terrible fate of one so miserable. Garbed in doom and looking of death. O long mourning, O tragic tune. Such is the mirth of hell." _

* * *

Sorry that this is such a short chapter but the rush of activity in those to come will make up for it. Well, see you Thursday, for the next Chapter!

By the by, I am still thinking about making a companion piece to this but set in Kakashi's POV, or at least the POV would follow him. Please give me your opinions on whether or not that would be interesting.

This annoying message will go away when I get a response.


	5. Now: Iron Maiden

Okay, we're back! Sorry about being so late but this was when I got home! I'm sorry I took so long, and here's the next chapter!

* * *

Chapter Five: Now; Iron Maiden

* * *

I didn't know whether to be thankful or sorrowful as my eyes blinked open. The patch of green lit rock above seemed awful close and was instantly panicked.

They buried me alive. Sealed me within a rock tomb to wait for asphyxia to slowly take me. A horrible death made only more horrible a sense of isolation and panic. I gasped, trying to push the urge to flail against the rock but my body was rebelling.

It started with one knee shooting up, colliding painfully with the rock. One elbow swung out, scraping painfully along the wall of the tomb before the fist snapped up at the lid. I didn't have the leverage or strength of mind to really succeed but I couldn't give in so easily.

I pinched my eyes closed and bit back the pain as I flailed fruitlessly at the unyielding stone. I could barely bite back the hiccup that accompanied the spasm of my diaphragm. I could feel the isolation start to wrench at my soul and the ripping of my soul was manifesting as actual pain within my chest.

I didn't know exactly what happened, but I was about to give in to the desolation when an arm circled my waist and dragged me over a ledge.

I clamped down on a scream as I fell.

For about two nanoseconds.

Into the lap of Kakashi none the less.

I tensed and threw out a half hearted punch, before collapsing in on myself. I left the body to deal with its exhaustion as I retreated to my happy place. I don't have much sense of time there so I don't know how long I spent putting myself back together but when I awoke there wasn't any stone coffin about me.

I pulled myself up, trying to figure out where I was this time. It was too dark to see well and I swung my feet down to try and stand. I jerked back with my feet met with bitter cold water.

"Kakashi san!" I called out, trying not to shout like I wanted to. I knew he was there earlier, or at least I thought he was. If I was still inside the tomb then I was experience one hell of a hallucination before my mind gets too oxygen deprived and shrivels away.

"Are you calmed down yet?" Kakashi's voice was tense and tired. I shouldn't have said anything. He needs sleep, I've been in and out so much that I'll be fine for a day.

"Yes, you need to sleep. I'll take guard." I stated, feeling around my ledge. It didn't take me long to find the 'tomb'. It was a cubby Kakashi must have pushed me to keep me out of the water. Being too panicked before I hadn't thought of looking around to see it there were indeed four sides to my coffin.

I felt immensely stupid all over again. I dragged the most powerful Leaf shinobi into my dooms' wake, stumbled upon the harbingers of that doom, and invited them along too none the less, and I think I broke some hand bones in that struggle with an open tomb.

I couldn't entirely bite back the sob the tore free of my lips.

I felt Kakashi's now familiar body settle next to mine. He slowly wound an arm under me, pulling me closer, trying to turn this awkward position into something comforting.

"Don't hit me, I'd really like to get some sleep Iruka sensei." I could hear the smile in his teasing voice.

I nodded my head against his shoulder, and listened to the strong beat of his heart and the steady ebb and flow of his breath. It was tempting to let the steady rhythm lull me to sleep but I needed to stay alert.

I closed my eyes, shutting off the unnecessary senses, extending my senses as much as I could without adding chakra; that would only serve to rudely awaken Kakashi.

However my breath caught in my throat when I heard another's feathery breath, hardly three paces away. My hands clenched Kakashi's jacket and I easily found a kunai within its' folds. I had shifted so I was on the balls on my feet, my hands on either side on Kakashi and his kunai in my mouth.

Kakashi's hand nearly snapped my wrist, making me jolt so hard I nearly dropped the kunai. He took that too though.

"There's-" I started to hiss at him, suddenly very worried that he hadn't sensed them.

"It's Rhyns." What? We had worked so hard to escape them. I know part of my drive was caused by my overzealous imagination but I know they were ready to strike us down. "I promised Anako I'd look after him." What? How? Why!

Kakashi laughed beneath me, a small airy laugh that had a ring of realness to it.

"He thought we were going to attack them. When I beat a hasty retreat, quickly slipping behind the waterfall, he must have figured we had merely misjudged them." His voice was light and ephemeral, like he was sleep talking. "When Rhyns finally caught up to us, your odd little break down made him suddenly much more charitable. He and I spoke and we went back to Anako. We didn't have much time before the enemies we were running from in the first place returned." He gave a hollow, insubstantial laugh, very similar to mine when I shattered earlier. "He said that as long as Rhyns stays safe, he'll find us again. He then raced off too fast for me follow. At least if I wanted to make sure you and Rhyns got to safety."

I took several extra breathes as I tried to digest the information as slowly as possible. If I rushed I might miss something and over react. Kakashi waited patiently for me to think, his breaths evening a little.

"We're going to have to rescue him aren't we?"

"Mah, Iruka sensei, don't be so shrewd." He gave a breathy laugh as his strength waned and he drifted off. It's his own fault for taking so many watches for other. He probably hasn't slept since before we left Konohagakure.

Settled back in, my senses screened the room again and fell back on the smooth sigh from the other person, from Rhyns. His heart beat fluttered loudly in the stone, sounding much like one in the rills.

I managed to keep my shock to only my eyelids snapping open. The gasp was stifled and beaten back along with the rapid heartbeat. Nothing out of the ordinary here Kakashi sensei.

That stone. Of course, it was the source of this foreboding, that was why it scared me. It wasn't natural, it was placed here. And rather poorly hidden.

Whatever was hidden behind it, I needed to get to.

I forced some soothing chakra into Kakashi, touching his and forcing the sedative properties I had learned to flow into him. I heard him shudder as he fought the chakra.

"It's only me Kakashi san, I want to help you sleep better." I whispered in his ear, petting his hair with my other hand. He relaxed and I fed him a bit more. That should keep him down for a couple hours. Plenty of time to go investigate the rock and get the information back to Kakashi and the Hokage, if necessary.

Okay, I'm lying. I just need to put distance between Kakashi and me, if I get far away enough he might not get sucked into this whirlpool of destruction.

I gingerly leaped to where Rhyns was sleep. I patted around until I found his ankle.

"Rhyns." I whispered, my hands delicately tracing his face.

"Yes, Iruka chan?" He murmured sounding half asleep. I smiled, hoping he really was. It was harder manipulating the sedative chakra if the target was awake enough to resist.

"Did we injure you?" I cooed lightly, trailing my hand down his arm so I could take his hand. It was thankfully empty of a weapon. I began lightly dusting my chakra on him once I clasped his lightly curled, over all, limp hand.

"No..." He sighed contentedly as my chakra seeped into his odd chakra. I pushed as much sedative as I could muster into him, until his entire body dissolved into lump of sleeping flesh.

I shut down my senses again as I lay traps about the room, all seals so I could feel when they were tripped and I could snap them shut at a single command. Using the same heightened sense of touch and hearing I navigated the corridors easily. It also helped that I had sonar radar to draw upon and lead me around anything large.

When I had gotten far enough from Kakashi I started pouring a trace amount of chakra into my two senses, trying to look for shinobi traps. The trip was dull and slow, I would stumble over a rock I had missed and my sonar would ring with a blurring amount of echoes and refractions, making me so disoriented I'd wrench my eyes open.

More than once I found myself on the ground, kneeling with my forehead pressed to the ground, eyes wide as I desperately fought to shut out the sound.

The gentle and reassuring crush of water had steadily become an overwhelming resonance that I was forced to draw on my senses and abandon the sonar. It was giving me a splitting headache and the beating that stone tomb had dealt was wrecking havoc on me.

I was panting silently, leaning heavily against a large stone when I noticed the presence.

Like me, they were crawling about the cave without use of light. They were well hidden but since I had stumbled upon them before they me, I wasn't about to lose them any time soon.

Suppressing as much chakra as I dared I strung up some chakra wires and tags, then sat back. I took two then three then four calming breaths before I threw out my chakra like a web, clearly searching for something.

I felt their chakra withdrawal and the scrambling increase. I threw another web, slightly larger this time. This time however a buried a seed of chakra on him as he passed carelessly through my web.

I smirked and almost laughed as he let out an excited burst of chakra, his moves becoming so sloppy I didn't need my heightened senses to find him.

A like a fly to a spider's web, I had him. He died with a soft gurgle and went to inspect the body. His body had unusual proportions, his arms much too long, his knees curled up when in a neutral pose. His eyes seemed undersized while his ears were large seashell like things.

Some sort of cave dweller or a breed of cannon fodder made to serve a singular purpose.

I didn't have much time to think on it as I heard another of the creatures come my way. I barely had time to trap the body and scoot back into safety when the creature tore into the small bulge of tunnel.

The thing grunted and routed about, never really touching the body. It seemed to have found a use for its sense of smell. I had suppressed mine without a thought and I got a sudden feeling of dread.

That was a very stupid idea.

I released my nose, letting my sense draw energy and knew immediately what the creature was doing. What I had dismissed as clammy skin was a pungent, foul smelling film that now coated the front of me.

I'd never be able to get it off with only the deathly cold water from the waterfall around me. I'd freeze to death after getting wet. I had no choice now. Either start a fairly irrational rampage that would draw as much of their attention to me as possible or let myself get captured and see what happens.

The first was sounding more and more appealing as the creature slithered closer, its' nose making a disgusting snuffling sound, something between a pig and a walrus. It's so close I could smell the rank odour over power the small amount I had gotten on me.

I lashed out perfunctorily, trying, albeit not very hardly, to act desperate and half crazed.

I had barely nicked the creatures arm when it gave reality tearing shriek that tore my mind in two. I couldn't tell if I was screaming too, but there was tears pouring unrestrained from eyes, I felt blood drip from my right nostril and both ears. I vaguely tasted blood, which meant my entire mouth was coated with it.

I started clamping down on my senses, dulling them as much as possible.

I could hear myself crying out, the harsh bitter scream that was barely a tenth of the pain in my right arm alone.

I was beginning to suspect that it wasn't tears pouring from my eyes, well not purely tears.

I gagged on my thick breath, another glob of much too thick saliva chocking me. I retched on the ground, vomiting and screaming as the pain only seemed to build.

* * *

I don't really remember passing out or being knocked out, but my limiter was still set on my senses so I severely doubted that I had passed out. My brain wouldn't tried desperately to keep that information when its' processing too much pain to continue.

However I was rather grateful for that assisted K.O. After all I was now thoroughly coated in that gunk. It made my stomach churn just thinking about it.

"So you're finally awake." That monotone was strikingly familiar yet made me cry a little on the inside.

"I knew we'd have to rescue you." The dark chuckle that responded made me want to open my senses back up. With a sigh I released them and immediately recoiled, tearing at the beyond soiled clothes.

"Relax, you'll get used to it." I looked over at him now, he was propped against a (guess what!) stone wall. He had his head listlessly tipped back, his eyes looking like they're staring at me simply because it was easier not to fight gravity.

The man had dragged me to some niche, I couldn't hear or feel anything nearby.

"Where are we?"

"I found another way around the waterfall. Where is Kakashi san and Rhyns?"

"They're back there a ways. I left the room heavily booby trapped and sealed." At his sharp glare I waved a hand dismissively at him. "They can't trip them, I can tell what sort of chakra I've ensnared and I've memorized theirs. Plus I added a bit of mine to theirs."

He gave me a re-evaluating stare, as if suddenly realizing I'm more than I seem. To which I merely shook my head and slouched against the boulder beside me. Well... It was awfully small to deserve to be called a boulder... a decent sized rock I determined before looking back to Anako.

"You need sleep too." I stated, figuring he was the same as Kakashi, remaining hyper vigilant in the presence of strange and dangerous people.

"There will be time for that later." He suddenly looked a bit more rejuvenated, his face taking on a rather intrigued and thoughtful look. "You know what's going on, don't you?"

Eh wot?

I came out here thinking that Konoha would be safe if I left, which I suppose it is. I mean whatever I stumbled upon here isn't something Konoha would ever take a willing part in. They were clearly experimenting on people, deforming creatures. They have a thriving base set up behind that ominous stone gate.

But as to what all this is, I have no idea.

I shook my head to indicate this but Anako tilted his head, craning forward. His cool eyes and face never once belied a hint of emotion as he studied me.

"You know more than you're letting on." He moved with cat like grace on all fours, coming to kneel before me, his deep, deep eyes seeming to suck my very soul into them.

Soul Stealers.

That's what he is. Rhyns is an ice apparition and he a soul stealer, a vampire, a succubus.

"No, that would be Rhyns." He chuckled darkly at my shocked expression, his lips curling wickedly. His soft, lean fingers lazily stroked the edge of my jaw, coming to harshly grip my jaw. "What I am is much more frightening." I didn't doubt this for one second.

I had been victim to his eyes not once but twice, and rather than coming away strong they seem to take a new hold somewhere in my soul. I shuddered, snapping my eyes closed.

He withdrew, settling in the shadow of two massive rocks, his blue eyes trained on the dim blue globe of fire hovering, perfectly still, between us.

"Rhyns may not be as fluent in Japanese as wishes to be but he hears in perfect pitch, he replicated that little poem of yours. What is it?" Somehow that didn't sound much like a question. His eyes were too dull, impossibly hungry for answers.

"Just an old saying, when I was younger a fortune teller told me." I sighed, realizing entirely how silly that sounds. Some crazy old bat wanders into town, spots me looking all forlorn and miserable and she gives me a prophecy I'd never doubt the truth of. She didn't really tell fortunes to other, they were more like common sense tips or the gender of an unborn baby. Never anything truly miraculous. I suppose that is why it stuck with me.

"Never doubt that which is undoubtable." I shot him an ugly look. That one made little sense. At least Kakashi's seeing underneath the underneath has some merit.

Anako laughed at my expression, then his head tilting back and forth as he tried to make the phrase fit into my language. "Truly a shame you don't know my language. You would have understood then." The shrugged, and tried to locate a comfortable spot between the two rocks. "I guess I could say... Don't push on the door of a closed ramen shop." He referenced the fact that the 'doors' of a typical ramen joint were planks of wood bolstered across the open doorframe, so once closed it can't be broken into. It's a futile and unrewarding task.

"So you think calling some old bat and her crazy fortune a lie is a futile and unrewarding task?" I knocked my head back against the wall loud enough to make an ugly sound but without any of the usual pain.

"It's happening isn't?" I couldn't see his face but I didn't doubt for a second he was giving me a rather smug look.

I could only smile miserably at the truth of it all. I wanted to smack my head against the stone until I woke from this nightmare, but with the way this horror has been going, I'd only think I'd woken and the dream would erode away my sense of reality before dropping me back into the nightmare I'm trudging through.

"How do I beat it?"

"Tell me what you know."

"There's stone. It has a pulse, that's where the enemy base is." I dropped my head between my raised knees, roughly rubbing my check against my inner knee. "I was hoping those stupid beast might take me to their base... Then it went and screamed in my ear..."

"We should alert Kakashi and Rhyns to your plans."

"Kakashi is intelligent, as is Rhyns. They'll figure it out." Anako raised a slender brow, his body looking more and more like the shadows he's crouched in.

"And how, pray tell, will they do that?"

"You're going to tell them." He started at that, those boiling infernos hidden behind his blue irises back with a vengeance. But they were gone just as quickly. "I'm terribly battered. I've been hurting myself right and left since this damn oppressive cloud moved into my mind. I will only slow you down, but if I make myself bait... I at least have a purpose."

He eyed me critically then, his gaze becoming more fascinated than sorrowful. It was the morbid fascination at most would use upon a corpse. I smiled to myself, after all, that's all I am now. Anako said to quit fighting it and if I can at least uncover something important about this facility at least then my death won't be in vain or meaningless.

"As you so wish."

I struggled to my feet, leaning heavily against the wall. I took a shuddering breath as I pushed by shoulders into the wall, trying to draw strength from it.

"I will go back through the waterfall, try to distract them. Get to Kakashi san and Rhyns san and get them out... I doubt I'll keep them entertained for long."

I gave him my most confident smile and trudged off, my keen hearing already pinpointing the location of the waterfall. I was reaching out with senses, watching out for those creatures.

"Be wary of them Iruka sensei, they will not spare your life. You must be found by the enemy." He whispered, once more amazingly insightful about my thoughts.

I gave what I hoped was a reassuring grin, but I had already cut off my eye sight and taste. I dimmed my sense of smell so I wasn't overwhelmed by the stench. I nodded and stretched out with my sonar location. I nearly gasped when I detected Anako.

I sound waves that came back made him seem even larger, his aura so immense and powerful it was deflecting sound. He moved swiftly, I preferred watching the trailing heat that followed after him rather than the wonky sounds he bounced back.

It took me much too long to fight my way to the waterfall, in my opinion. The creatures weren't very intelligent and tended to be very straight forward, however being injured and most of my chakra tied up around Kakashi and Rhyns I was at the disadvantage. I sliced and tricked my way through as many as I could muster before collapsing in a murky puddle of water.

The waterfall's mist barely reached me and the divot I managed to trip over clued me in to the uphill battle before me.

I could feel the blistering heat that rippled from Anako's distorted form behind me.

"Go to them." I growled, hauling myself up. They needed me to distract the enemy. To gather and record, however I could, everything I'll see and hear. I tore at my arm with a cleaned kunai, gritting my teeth at the pain. I ended up on my knees again but it didn't long for me to rewrap the arm and drag myself along.

The watching heat had vanished when I told them to, and cringed at the thought of the coming cold. The roar of the waterfall was nothing compared to roar of my mind. I kept my eyes clenched shut and dampened my sense of touch, opening all my others to try and diminish the coming ice bath.

With one last shaking breath I stepped into the churning waters. My disorientation spoke to being swept away. I was jerked about, the odd sight of weightless water parting about me before tugging me along, rather grudgingly sometimes.

I was finally settled somewhere, the roar had dimmed and I wasn't trying to stay afloat anymore. Easing back into feeling, I choked on the pain. My back, right arm, and both legs screamed as if they were broken. I couldn't hold in the gasp as I forced myself up, proving my back wasn't broken, just jarred terribly.

However my arm hung lifelessly and even with my sense of touch dulled it felt nothing. Dragging myself to the edge of the shallows and finding a rock to prop myself against, allowed me to relax a little. I did a physical inspection of my limbs, prodding along with numbed fingers.

It yielded that a large amount of pebbles and broken rock had been buried in my shins. the right leg was a little less effected and one impressively large stone was sticking out of my left outer thigh. I gagged a bit at this finding but shoved it aside I felt for my right arm. The numbing cold had soothed it a bit.

It was swept around me unnaturally, the elbow pulled in at an odd angle. The shoulder was dislocated and I could feel some tears in the arm and palm.

I was immensely thankful my left arm had escaped the same fate. I exhaled that relief as I realized what I needed to do. The first being relocating my shoulder.

I manoeuvred the arm right and slammed my body to the ground. I screamed unrestrained when I missed. I lay panting for who knows how long before I pulled myself, ready to try again.

It succeeded this time but the pain was no less searing. I coughed and groaned at the searing pain, however I was relieved when my right fingers started to spasm with the pain.

Now I had to get those rocks out of my legs. It was a tedious and painful procedure, my already shredded jacket being used as bandages. The last bit of it was used as a sling for my arm. I relaxed against the boulder, gasping for air. Tears were finally allowed to slip from my eyes. I was too tired to hold them back.

That's when I felt a niggle within my chakra.

Those creatures had stumbled upon Kakashi and Rhyns. I closed my eyes in concentration, closing as much of myself as I could afford. I felt a second creature contact my trap. Two was the most that particular one could hold.

I clenched my fist, barely grunting 'release'. I felt my chakra snap and the satisfying feeling of the trap working.

The next trap was a new one I had been working on, I called it the Puzzle Box. It was morbidly fascinating, and I wished I could observe it firsthand. When Kakashi and the others found me I have to ask them how well it worked.

I felt three creatures step into the field and snapped the Puzzle Box shut. I felt the trap spring shut, effectively and sickeningly ending them.

I panted slightly, the pressure of the traps leaving more of a relief than the feeling that Kakashi now owed me for saving his arse. I smirked at how irked he'll be when he wakes.

I was drawn from my reveries why I realized that there was something much too near to me. I lashed out, my kunai dragging through something with a flesh like resistance. I tried to scramble back but my legs were having none of it and my awkward lunge made me fall with a sickening crunch atop my right arm.

I screamed at the pain and felt something grab my ankle. I kicked as hard as I could at the arm. I have a depressing feeling that I hurt myself more than them.

It didn't take much for the attacker to disarm me. I'm right hand, and not as proficient with my left arm as should be by now.

"What 'ave 'ere?" The gritty voice chuckled wickedly, dragging me by the ankle towards a light source I had missed earlier. "Some sortta shi-no-bi?" He enunciated shinobi, making him seem unfamiliar with the word.

His pocked face was pressed in close to mine, making me try and press into the stone. He threw his head back in laughter. As he rolled his head, his eyes connected with mine. The ferocity in that gaze made my blood freeze.

I barely realized that another creature was in my traps.

"Release." I muttered and he swiftly kicked me in the ribs. They were already bruised from my water ride but now there were definitely some broken ones. I stifled the scream but the curl of my body was undeniable.

I was shaking badly, my whole body flooded with pain.

"You stink like the critters in here. You've been killin' 'em 'aven't ya?" He kicked me again, his boots digging into my back with each hit.

"Them is my pets, shi-no-bi!" I barely had time to store away that bit of information when my chakra detected another creature.

I held on, pulling my senses close to me as I gathered up enough chakra to release all the traps. They were too dangerous to leave untapped.

I felt another three creatures pile in into the web of traps. I felt myself groan at something and body shudder, jarred by some impact somewhere. I held my chakra, growling at the irritation.

I couldn't hold it in much longer, the last two that wandered in were all I could ensnare.

"Release."

* * *

Okay, well Chapter Five is done and over with. There's only about two more chapters, so yes this'll wrap up rather quickly but I've already talked some one about that and they said it was fine. So I hope you're enjoying yourself and this story and the next chapters live up to your expectations.

By the by, I am still thinking about making a companion piece to this but set in Kakashi's POV, or at least the POV would follow him. Please give me your opinions on whether or not that would be interesting.

This annoying message will go away when I get a response.


	6. Now: The Inquisitional Chair

Did you, that my favourite medieval torture device is the Iron Maiden? After all, it is the most sinester device I can imagine. A properlly designed Iron Maiden actually won't kill you right away. The spikes are designed to hold pressure on the vessels it severs and keep a person alive for several days. However the spikes are barbed, so if the Iron Maiden is opened the person gets their innered as outers before dying in very painful manner. So while it's damn scary and one of my favourite torture device, I think it's often misrepresented. Because not enough people know how an Iron Maiden truly works.

But enough about that fun stuff and on to the story.

* * *

Chapter Six: Now; The Inquisitional Chair

* * *

I awoke to a strangled screech, one that barely sounded human. It took me a few seconds before I realized that was me.

I was strapped to a table in a rather larger and busy room. There were desk and benches made from rock everywhere, most filled with laboratory like things. A couple held large mechanical contraptions. There were people in large white frocks milling about the tables, none bothering to even glance my way.

My wounds didn't hurt as bad, but from my unmoving position it was hard tell if there was anything different about them. I tried to shift as subtly as I could, trying to find anything to clue me in as to what's going on here.

There was another one of those creatures trapped in a small cage, now that I could see them they were even more frightful.

Their skin was gray with blue-purple veins pushing up the skin. The slime covering them glistened with an oily sheen. The creature had a pig-ish nose with large shell ears and it was turned towards me. Its' eyes were naught but scar covered knots on their face and their mouth was filled with widely spaced, needle like teeth.

It's breath was coming in hisses, the legs trembling with pent up energies. It suddenly snapped out, colliding thoughtlessly with the bars of the cage. It swiped furiously at me, it's body straining as it tried to push through the bars.

A senbon suddenly burrowed into the pitiful things' neck, causing it to sink to the floor.

"One of the surviving few we unleashed." A voice right beside me murmured, but I could hear the pleased smile on his face.

"Your welcome." I grunted, wincing at the hoarseness of my voice. The table I was on started to shift and I slid down it, toes barely touching the floor when it stopped. My left hand had been able to grip the leather binding so I was using that sole band as my lifeline. I teetered pathetically but my grip was unyielding.

"Such grit, such wit, even after being captured." I could now see the man clearly. He had thick glasses perched on a small, pinched nose. The dark, murky green eyes seemed to be swirling with malevolence and twisted pleasure. His pale face was framed by oily, dirty blond hair that fell in jagged waves down to his shoulders. His frock was well fitted and nearly touched the ground. His had an opening in both the back and front unlike the other people still milling about. "Is this what all shinobi are like?" His face was split by a cruel smirk.

My eyes left him to wander the lab. I could now see the depth of it, it stretched for a good 10 meters and the exit was just ahead. The lab had many tables such as mine, but they were either filled by those creatures or had nothing on them.

His hand stung my cheek with a slap, but it wasn't even as forceful as one of my students'. That made me kick up and eyebrow at him.

He wasn't a shinobi.

"You're barely fazed by this turn of events..." He murmured, his thin fingers tapping against the smirking lips. "Are a decoy or did your friends just abandon you to us?"

"They would never!" I forced a roar from my throat, and I was nearly knocked from my feet by it. I swung by the leather band, barely keeping my legs under me. "They'll be back..." I whispered, smirking on the inside when I watched the sneer cross his pinched features.

If he knew anything of the ninja way, he'd know that we tend to cut our losses and run. Kakashi and Anako could easily make that decision. Rhyns probably could too, and with much of the same guilt I would carry. But even if they decide to flee, I was going to record this information.

They had taken my kunai, my bags, my shoes and, oddly enough, my hair band. However as hoped they had missed the needle in my mouth. Even if the needle wasn't designed for combat, it was still a useful tool. Infinitely useful and the bloody tarts would never know what hit them.

After all spyworks is my area of specialization. It was my job to make seemingly useless objects into weapons.

I flinched when one of the creatures screamed. My eyes tried to determine which of the writhing creatures had issued that cry.

"You like them?" The man was smirking again, adjusting his glasses.

"W-what are they?" I know it was hard smell the creatures on me anymore but it was still there, barely hanging on.

"They're our little creations. They were once people." He shrugged, that smirk barely diluting its self. "We found this handy little serum that destroys the mind and allows us to manipulate the bodies."

He had moved over to the table less than a meter away. It had several glinting vials of unknown liquids. One of every colour. He selected a musky yellow one, studying the liquid before popping it in the some sort of contraption that had a needle on the other side.

"One of these, " he motioned to the other seven vials, "is that serum I was telling you about. This one, is just for you." He waved for some one behind me to come forth. "I wouldn't resist unless you wish to become one my creations."

Two rather burly guys stepped before me, one was surprisingly short, his head barely coming up to my chin. The other looked about my height and he held a similar contraption but this one was load with a purple vial.

They tied my hands behind my back and prodded me along after the tall, skinny man. His left leg seemed to be injured because he had a minor limp on that leg. I filed that away for later.

"What's going on?" I hissed, my vision swimming slightly at the pain of having to walk.

"I've never gotten a ninja before, I want to see how you compare." He stopped in front of a heavily reinforced door. There was a second door off to the right, that was partially opened and I could see a glass window looking into the room I was about to be pushed into. The man suddenly tore my netting, smirking at me, "this will hurt." He plunged the needle into my heart and lurched, my body curling. "That was adrenaline, it won't last for very long so I advise you move quickly."

The hired brutes, removed my bonds and shoved me through the door before I could react. Behind that door were seven of those creatures. The lightening was a dim blue and the gray creatures moved towards me like I was a delicious but dangerous treat.

As I scanned for a place to retreat to I noticed my weapon pouch laid in the centre of the stage. There's two creatures beside it but they don't bother with it. I know that whoever that crazed Looney is I can't risk using the full extent of my ninjustu; only Taijustu or maybe some sneaky ninjustu that they shouldn't be able to detect.

None of those three had any chakra, and to the average citizen of Konohagakure our ninja skills seem to be magic.

I dove for the weapons pouch, closing off my sense of smell and taste. Neither would be even remotely useful here. The creatures, startled by my sudden burst of movement scattered. They screamed and beat senselessly on the rock near them. I had the pouch on when the first, boldest creature attacked.

I surprised at the ease of my movements, they were slowed by the torn flesh but no more than they would be normally. The pain had also dimmed to a far away whisper.

I buried a shuriken in its' skull and throwing more shuriken with chakra wire stuck to them. None of them were meant to hit, only be the strings upon which my dead web would be built. I tossed on last shuriken into the light above me, taking out the light. With one less sense to worry on, and hoping they also couldn't see, I moved with all swiftness I possessed. I laid tags all about the room, releasing the stored chakra as the unfortunate creatures touched them. I was destroying the tags right after laying them with or without a creature upon though. I wasn't giving the enemy any of my weapons.

The creatures screeched and flailed about, snapping their lizard like teeth at me as the last four converged on me. Their screams were ringing in my skull, making me stumble slightly and the whisper grow louder.

I managed to push a kunai into one and was flying about the room to set up the Puzzle Box. I really wanted to see how well it performs in person. I sliced my palm and left arm, leaving some blood to try and draw them into the traps maw.

The three crawled around me, circling, screaming my way and slashing at me. Finally one jumped in, cueing the others. I leapt over my trap, springing it shut.

I wished I could see it, but the satisfying squelch of severing flesh rang out. The next squelch was less juicy and the final one released them from the field. They fell in a waterfall of bodily fluids and severed bits. Just like a broken puzzle, the whole of them was scattered on the floor.

I peeled the needle from my cheek and put my back to the window just in case they could see. The needle was a hypodermic needle and I created a vacuum in it before plunging it into my arm, sinking it into the ink pouch I buried in there. The glassy needle filled and I gently pricked my left side. The quickly pooling ink was easy to shift into words, I only needed to refill it once.

I could ingrain the ink into my flesh with that. The ink was easily manipulated by chakra and I could contort the puddle into words. The ink would sit just below the first layer of skin and was purposed for someone of my skin tone. It was a light sepia colour but our ninjas knew to look for it on me.

The door groaned as it opened and I quickly put the needle back into place. I stayed knelt down, partially to seem injured and partially because I was.

"Don't move." The tall brute grunted, holding the needle and vial contraption threateningly. I let them take my wrists, tying them back up. They picked up and placed me on my feet, jerking me roughly when I swayed slightly. It had been exhausting to run like that, and my body wasn't even remotely grateful.

I was almost relieved when they tossed me on a flat table. However that comfort was taken rather quickly when the short brute starting punching me in the ribs.

"I should let them continue." The man's pinched features were filed with disgust and barely contained rage. "I merely wished to observe your strength and you go and do that."

He is clearly unfamiliar with shinobi. I nudged some of the unused ink to write that. I wish I had time to sink some more in. However the ink would become immoveable if let to settle, I could only use it for about 10 maybe 15 minutes after injection.

"However you did manage to beat those creatures. It makes me want to stick you in with a day creature." He seemed to be considering his words, fingers drumming against his chin. "A shinobi creature... Now that just might be interesting..."

I couldn't hold in my scoff. He raised a condescending eyebrow at me, daring me to do so again. I did, mostly because he was not well informed. And I wasn't one to turn down a dare.

"Those brainless creatures would never compare to a shinobi." I laughed a little as he tilted his head, trying to figure out what I meant. "Our strength is not our bodies but our minds." Well mostly minds... There are some rather slow ninja who make it solely on brawn...

He was nodding slowly at that, but his eyes raked lewdly over me. His eyes seeing something more than just me.

"Even if what you say is true, your body is still in better shape than the others we've picked up. Plus your muscles are used to that strength and can endure much pain." I was sorely wishing I had a cyanide pill on me. I didn't want to end up as some demented creature of this immoral lab.

He detected that fear and his contemplative face erupted into a sadistic grin, his head cocking to the side and came forward.

"No? You don't like that?" He sniggered, his eyes never leaving mine. I tried to force all my confidence and nerve into my eyes, not letting them blink before he did. He laughed again and walked backwards to the table. "I suppose it would be rather wasteful. I still don't know exactly what you're capable of."

The cavern suddenly shuddered, the world bucking wildly. The loose rock and sediment on the ceiling rained down and the sensitive equipment blitzed out of life. The crowd of people gasped and shouted.

"Go see what's going on!" The skinny man barked at the two brutes, his eyes wild with confusion. "You!" He must have noticed my smirk. "What's going on?"

"Something is probably attacking." I did my best to shrug, I managed to partially prop myself on my elbows. His face paled, the man tossing an uncertain glance towards the exit.

"How do I repel the attack?" He snapped a pinkish red vial into the contraption, pressing it to my jugular.

"My friend Rhyns is an ice apparition. My teammate Kakashi is also a shinobi, but he's in a class above me. Anako is the stuff nightmares are made from wrapped in hellfire and death. Together... they're unbeatable." I smirked at him, dislodging the needle. "But don't worry, they won't kill you." I spit the needle into his eye, using all the chakra I had to pierce the thick glass and shoot out the other side of his skull.

"You're dead already." I choked out, watching the exit flood with pyro-clastic material and fire before ice shot out, coating the entire joint before the ice apparition flipped through, back in his furisode.

I smiled at him and fell back, my body unable to support me. I could hear the clicking of his heels on the floor, quickly followed by the softer scuffling of two others. The other people screamed, there was some gurgling as they choked on their own blood.

The chirp of a thousand birds filled the air, and I blinked my dimming eyes, wondering what was going on. Why were there birds in the cave?

The cave abruptly went dark and I gasped slightly as fresh waves of pain roiled within me. With my chakra depleted I could no longer keep the pain at bay. I choked on a scream, stifling myself as much as I could.

A soft, delicate hand grasped mine, their thumb rubbing my knuckles. "Iruka chan open eyes!" Oh. The cave wasn't dark, my eyes were just closed.

It felt like each lid was held shut by 12 tons of feathers. I could only drag my left eye half open. Rhyns ducked into my vision, his icy form dropped in favour of his emotional one. He was dimmed by the haze of pain and chakra depletion.

"T-the... the vials..." My tongue felt heavy and dry, barely coordinated enough to speech. "The... creature... serum..."

"Don't worry, Iruka sensei. I sent Pakkun back to the Hokage. They'll have a team examine this." The voice was extremely serious, Kakashi's floofy headed silhouette dropped into my view as the veil started to descend permanently.

"Ink... side..." I managed to make my side spasm where the ink was injected. Kakashi's, well I think it was his, hand touched my side, his sensitive hands probably feeling the residual chakra still seeping from the ink.

"You did good Iruka sensei." It sounded like he was whispering but then again it was starting to get quiet everywhere. The pain was winning and I was getting lost in that silent scream issued by my body.

"Puzzle... Box..." I was suddenly reminded that I needed to ask him if he was awake and saw it. However I don't think he understood me at all.

* * *

Only one more chapter to go!

By the by, I am still thinking about making a companion piece to this but set in Kakashi's POV, or at least the POV would follow him. Please give me your opinions on whether or not that would be interesting.

This annoying message will go away when I get a response.


	7. Now: Epilogue

Although, I think that The Chair is probably my second favourite medieval torture device. For it has some pschological torture mixed in and in my opinion, that's the only true form of torture. You can a break a body but breaking a mind is something entirely different.

Well without further ado, the final chapter!

* * *

Chapter Seven: Now; Epilogue

* * *

I shifted and moaned into my shoulder as I sat back, I've been in the hospital for two days now and the stiffness in my muscles was getting worse than the pain still darting through my right arm.

I hadn't had time to notice that my ulna was broken, thankfully only in one place but was cracked in several more. The head of my humerus bone was cracked too, probably because of the failed attempt at relocated my shoulder more than anything. My fingers and arm was still a little swollen but I'd regain full use within a week.

My legs were healed fully as was my back and left arm. The T&I department had came and extracted my ink while I was unconscious, and the medical ninja's had thankfully known to remove the ink pouch from arm before healing it. That would have been painful.

I was due to be released once they took the cast from arm in two days. I personally think that Hokage is having them keep me here so I couldn't run off and find more trouble.

I jerked my head up when the door to my room slid open. I smiled before I really looked at who was entering.

Today it was Anako and Rhyns; they had been detained by the T&I department longer than Kakashi was, mostly because they're not leaf shinobi. I was sorely tempted to ask Kakashi how well Ibiki was dealing with Anako.

He had stopped by and stayed for several hours under the guise of telling me about our new friends. But I was glad nobody else was badly hurt.

Kakashi had burnt his hand and had some small lacerations and bruises but nothing beyond that. Anako was entirely unharmed, almost maddeningly so. Rhyns complained about being tired and that he had broken a nail. He was also disgustingly unharmed.

I felt a little guilty for wishing them injured but when I said so Anako had actually laughed at that, which made Rhyns swat him. He was laughing too, but not out loud. They had come in the last hour Kakashi was here, staying until visiting hours were up.

* * *

_"Hey, good afternoon." I grinned and Rhyns rushed across the room, flying at me. I 'eep'ed as he jumped on me, pushing me back into the inclined bed. He straddled me as he wept fake tears and shouted in his language._

_"He is deeply aggrieved of your continuing stay here." Anako monotonously and probably incorrectly interpreted. I say wrongly because Rhyns tossed a fan of ice daggers at him._

_"I wish Iruka chan not in Hospital." Rhyns murmured once he had settled down, seating cross legged at the foot of my bed. Anako stood at the foot of the bed, standing on Rhyns right. "Rhyns wants to party."_

_Anako and I chuckled at him, Anako giving him a playful nudge trying to impart some sympathy into him. Rhyns reject it._

_"Iruka chan must be bored! Iruka chan need party!"_

_"Iruka sensei needs to rest and let his arm heal." It felt a little awkward with them talking like I wasn't in the room..._

_"We'll have a party in a couple day if you guys are still around. I'll get released in two days." I chuckled as Rhyns glomped me, rubbing his head against my chest. I patted his head, trying to gently pry him off. He was causing some of my bruises to burn. "Did they ever tell you what is was found there?"_

_"Well... They did not really tell..." Rhyns looked away, a small embarrassed blush creeping across his cheeks._

_"It was an independent laboratory that was being funded by a family within the Land of Water. They were experimenting on farmers, travellers, and just about anybody unfortunate enough to cross their path." Anako spoke quietly but firmly, moving up to stand directly on my left. "The creatures we battled were one of six designs. The cave creatures we encountered were the first to be created and thus had more. They would release them whenever someone got too close to their base. That stone you found was the gate the creatures were released from." He turned to Rhyns who nodded for him to continue. "The lab you were held in was where they experimented on the mutated people. Once they infect a person they can further desecrate their body and medically alter them to perform certain functions. The ones we faced were cave dwellers, but they also had fire, water, earth, wind, and lightning dwellers."_

_"They wanted get a shinobi. Shinobi stronger." Rhyns tried to give a comforting smile. Anako nodded, leaning in slightly._

_"They took that ink of you and they started from your observations. Those vials you pointed out to us were the different kinds of poisons they use to make the creatures." I nodded, I had been hoping they were just torturous venoms, but I had known they'd never be that kind._

_"Were there any survivors?"_

_"Yes, your Ibiki san is talking to them." Anako nodded again, his lips curling a sadistic smile. I bet he turned those eyes on Ibiki._

_"I meant any of the creatures?" Anako looked at me sadly, his lips a grim line._

_"No. The poison was fast acting and corroded the brain to the point it couldn't be healed." He spoke sombrely._

_I winced in bereavement for the people they used to be. It was cruel and dishonourable to use human lives like that. They weren't enemies or vicious people by Anako's words._

_I shrugged off the rage that churned my stomach, exhaling it and letting in cool. I could deal with it later._

_"Were any of them ninjas?" I knew that man and his thugs weren't and considering what Anako said about wanting shinobi, it would seem rather strange for them to be using shinobi guards. They weren't even familiar with shinobi law._

_"No. Is weird?" Rhyns asked, his large mauve eyes looking so child like I almost blush at how seductively he's sitting._

_"Yeah, well... Not very many people don't know about shinobi... Were they brought from some other country? One without ninjas?"_

_"Unknown." Anako shrugged, his eyes seemed to say he could find out though. "Ibiki san didn't seem very interesting in where they come from just whom they are allied with." That sounds like Ibiki._

_"Is Kakashi's hand better?" _

_"Yes!" Rhyns chirped, and pressing his hands together for a single clap before twisting his fingers together. "He looking at cave."_

_"Are they still finding stuff!" _

_"No very much more, the first wave revealed a lot more to the complex than the area you were in. Most of the complex was actually located near the cave entrance, before the pit."_

_I nodded contemplatively, catching only flicks of motion as Rhyns and Anako conversed in their language. I was still trying to mentally map out the complex from what I knew of it when I was touched softly on the shoulder._

_Rhyns was leant on my thigh, his other hand was brushed against the exposed skin of my neck. He smiled and nodded to Anako._

_"When you left Rhyns and Kakashi, you trapped it, do you remember?" At my nod he continued. "Rhyns was still unconscious but he said you had amazed Kakashi with a trap."_

_"Did he say what it looked like?" I surged forward, pulling myself into Anako's face by the front of his jacket. My mind suddenly recalling what is was that I had forgotten. Although a sudden wave of weariness almost dropped me to the floor._

_Anako gingerly placed me back in bed, waiting for me to stop breathing so heavily before he spoke. "He didn't seem to know how to describe it, he says he wishes he had his sharingan uncovered for it."_

_"I can show him later, I'm just glad it was a success. I recently created it but haven't had much to test it on." The creatures, inhuman as they had seemed, weren't exactly deserving of that vicious trap. Few people are._

_"Cheer up Iruka chan." Rhyns suddenly spoke, smiling brightly. I chuckled and gave him a lazy smile. He crawled up, nudging me over so he could sit on my right._

_He pulled me into his arms, his embrace rather maternal. Despite the cold he exuded it was warm. Very soothing for a wilting conscious._

_"Impossible tell people. Bad science made them." He murmured and he rambled a bit in his language, stroking my back._

_It would have been easy to breakdown in his embrace but I felt the need dissipating. He talked on and felt my guilty conscious, and my rage at those responsible, lift. _

* * *

Before I knew it, I was waking up to a large moon filled night. Rhyns and Anako were gone, leaving me mildly confused. Rhyns must have returned the favour and was using his justu and odd chakra to lull me asleep. I chuckled at the thought.

Something was nagging in the back of my mind, that I had been woken up.

The moonlight sweeping across he bed was suddenly blotted out, and my hand snapped beneath my pillow. But alas, this was not my room and my kunai were not under it.

"Yo, Iruka sensei." The unfamiliar blot suddenly started to clear up, his figure was squatting on the ledge on the window, waving for me to open the window. I grudgingly got up and let him.

"What are you doing out and about?" I moved back to the bed, not bothering to pull back the sheets and just sitting on them.

"Mah, you see I was on my here earlier but then this turtle suddenly fell from the sky... Well anyways, I'm here to see you." He shrugged and gave an thousand watt smile that made black spots dance before my eyes.

What an amazingly emotional eye...

"Thank you Kakashi san..." I eventually got out, blinking away the spots.

"You did very good work, Iruka sensei. I'm quite impressed, as are several other people." He was dead serious and his eye was stern to convey his sincerity.

"Thank you, Kakashi san." I ducked my head, keeping my eyes on my knees. It was a very gracious compliment.

"You'll have to show me that sealing trap sometime."

"Did you see it then? The Puzzle Box?" I nearly overbalanced when I jumped off the bed. Kakashi started too, but I caught my balance before lurching too far over.

"Puzzle Box?" He seemed to be considering it, before he gave a bemused chuckle. "I get it, because it severs the body into so many pieces."

"That and I can only activate it when there are more than two people within it. That way they can't put someone back together so easily." Kakashi seemed a little taken aback by the ruthlessness of the trap. Or perhaps the inefficient of using it on the run.

But it's more of a siege trap, meant to be placed at doorway or tunnel where the enemy is forced into a bottle neck. So I shrugged at his look and re-seated myself.

"Did all three layers go off fine?" I asked softly, trying to keep my excitement restrained. "I've a had problem before where only one or two of the layers activate."

"All three activated, but even one layer is fatal."

"Yes, but then it wouldn't be the Puzzle Box because it would easy to tell which part goes to which half." Kakashi gave a chuckle at that.

"You're truly scary Iruka sensei." I hoped that the darkness covered up any hints of the embarrassed blush covering my face. "Mah, Iruka sensei," his tone instantly lighter, "I need to get going. See you around." He gave a two fingered salute and vanished out the window.

I could only chuckle, relieved that the creepy sharingan Kakashi wasn't so creepy, that my two new friends really weren't scary as hell omens that were going to kill me, and that a short hospital stay was all that ended up happening.

My sense of dread had led me to an enemy base that was building an army of civilian bourn monsters right beneath our noses. My hasty retreat from Konoha really did save the village. It was good enough for me.

And I still have a week left of my vacation!

* * *

Owari~


End file.
